The Republic of Kazakhstan is a consistent advocate of nuclear disarmament and supports the strict adherence to the non-proliferation regime of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by all states.
Kazakhstan is one of the few countries in the world that has experienced the consequences of nuclear testing. A total of 456 nuclear explosions (including atmospheric, surface and underground tests) were conducted on Kazakh territory. According to various estimates, 1.5 million people suffered from the effects of the tests, and an area of 304 thousand square kilometers was contaminated.
On August 29, 1991, by decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site was closed.
Kazakhstan also voluntarily renounced the world's fourth-largest nuclear missile arsenal inherited from the USSR. In 1994, Kazakhstan officially joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear-weapon state.
In 2009, at the initiative of Kazakhstan, the UN General Assembly declared August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, marking the closure of the Semipalatinsk Test Site.
Kazakhstan is a party to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and supports its early entry into force and the strengthening of the Treaty's verification mechanism.
In Semipalatinsk in 2006, the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia ("Semipalatinsk Treaty") was signed (entered into force in 2009). Kazakhstan consistently supports the concept of nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ) and advocates for the establishment of such zones in other regions of the world.
On December 7, 2015, the UN General Assembly, at the initiative of Kazakhstan, adopted the Universal Declaration on Achieving a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World by a majority vote of member states. The Declaration reflects the determination of states to move towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
Kazakhstan is also an active participant in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). From March 3 to 7, 2025, the Third Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW was held in New York under the presidency of Kazakhstan, resulting in the adoption of the Political Declaration by the participating states.
From 2023 to 2025, at the initiative of Kazakhstan and Kiribati, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled " Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons: providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons." This resolution holds special significance in light of the historical context and serves as a reminder of the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. The main goal of the resolution is to promote understanding of international responsibility and solidarity in assisting victims of nuclear tests, while also laying the groundwork for voluntary international cooperation to address the damage caused by past nuclear tests and prevent potential future harm.