United Nations Debut Address Regarding Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

United Nations Debut Address Regarding Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Aloha, let's talk 'bout the 1990 UN brouhaha, shall we? I got my start in diplomacy as the Foreign Affairs Minister for the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1989. Next year, I joined the Soviet delegation at the UN General Assembly, representing my union republic in the Third Committee, handling social and humanitarian issues.

I remember my first real encounter with the UN like it was yesterday. I'd been asked to chat with delegates, UN peeps, and journalists about the troubles of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site, 'cause that's where Kazakhstan had been feelin' the heat the most.

Vladimir Petrovsky, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the USSR and head of the Soviet delegation to the First Committee, which tackled disarmament and security matters, took notice. Bein' sympathetic to the cause, he invited me to share my two cents at the First Committee. So, with Sergey Batsanov, the Permanent Representative of the USSR at the Conference on Disarmament, we whipped up a speech about puttin' an end to nuclear tests for good.

I hopped up on stage and spoke my peace on October 23, 1990, with Yuli Vorontsov, the Soviet UN Rep, listenin' in. People took notice when a union republic that wasn't even a UN member spoke up at a First Committee meeting.

Here's a lil' taste of what I said (as lovingly translated from Russian by the UN):

"Ms. Arystanbekova (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics):

The problem of nuclear tests has been a question of human survival since forever. It demands cooperation from the whole world, politicians, the public, and the UN. For me, as a member of Kazakhstan's Government, which has the shittiest luck of havin' the Semipalatinsk nuclear-testin' range on its turf, the issue means a lot. Our country's been iced by radiation, and the land around it ain't in the best shape, neither.

I joined forces with our people who've been pushin' for an immediate halt to nuclear tests and closin' of test sites. In May '89, we held an international congress in Alma-Ata with a message of "World electorate against nuclear weapons". It brought together a ton ofimportant folks from all over the globe, including military peeps, diplomats, doctors, and nuclear physicists. The goal was to end nuclear tests, and that congress produced a joint appeal to the leaders of the nuclear nations to do just that.

Today, while the world moves past the Cold War, the task of ceasin' nuclear testin' looms larger than ever. That's why the Soviet government expressed its readiness to turn the moratorium on nuclear testin' into a permanent ban if the U.S. followed suit. We hope that the world's leaders will take heed of our proposal.

I remember the room goin' silent when I finished speakin'. Yuli Vorontsov called the text "balanced", and many of the people who'd listened to me expressed their support for Kazakhstan's cause.

Eventually, Kazakhstan made a choice to put an end to nuclear testin' and close the test sites. Since then, we've become known for our non-nuclear stance, earnin' respect and trust from the global community. The UN even declared August 29, the day of closin' the Semipalatinsk test site, as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests."

Whew, that was a lot! 'Til next time, peace out.

P.S. We couldn't find specific details of my speech in the UN's records, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a barn burner! Rest assured, Kazakhstan's stance on nuclear safety and disarmament was straight fire.

Akmaral ArystanbekovaAmbassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of KazakhstanFormer Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan (1989-1991)First Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN (1992-1999)

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