OTTAWA – On the first International Day against Nuclear Tests, New Democrats renewed their call for Canadian leadership toward achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

“As we mark the first International Day against Nuclear Tests, we urge the government to encourage the full ratification and entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT),” said New Democrat Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre). “The government must clearly show that, if elected to the Security Council, a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention would be a top priority for Canada.”

Last December, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The date marks the start of the nuclear arms race in 1949 when, on August 29, the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear test, following tests by the United States. The site was shut down on August 29, 1991, after over 450 nuclear bombs had been tested, with scant consideration for health and safety.

“Canada can play a key role in supporting the UN Secretary-General’s Five Point Plan for Nuclear Disarmament,” said New Democrat MP Bill Siksay, the Canadian Chair of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND). “The government should make the goal of a nuclear-free-world one of Canada’s top priorities”.

“Nuclear arms continue to pose a significant threat to global security as they risk becoming available to more state and non-state entities,” concluded Dewar. “Now is the time for Canada to act.”