International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
A UN day advocating complete nuclear disarmament and raising awareness of the existential threat these weapons pose to humanity.
Date26 September
TopicPeace & Safety
Established2013
Ways to observe this day
- Learn the history of nuclear disarmament treaties
- Support organizations advocating for a nuclear-weapon-free world
- Join discussions or awareness events on the topic
- Follow UN reports on disarmament
In December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 68/32, designating September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, following a high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament held in New York on that same date earlier in the year. The day was first observed in 2014.
The day aims to raise public awareness and education about the existential threat nuclear weapons pose to humanity, and the necessity of their total elimination as the only guarantee against their future use. The date also marks the anniversary of a 1983 incident that brought the world dangerously close to full-scale nuclear war during the Cold War.
The UN and disarmament organizations mark the day with high-level conferences and discussions, along with awareness campaigns urging nuclear-armed states to honor disarmament treaties, and encouraging civil society to advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons.
