BIG : Nuclear tests conducted by France have had a devastating impact on environment

The nuclear tests carried out by France, including those in its colonial territories, have had a devastating impact on the environment, according to a statement released by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) on August 29, International Day Against Nuclear Tests, Report informs.

Since the first nuclear test on July 16, 1945, more than two thousand nuclear explosions have occurred on our planet:

"In the early years, the destructive effects of these tests on human life and the environment were not fully recognized, but history has shown that nuclear explosions produce long-term and catastrophic consequences.

On December 2, 2009, UN General Assembly Resolution 64/35 declared August 29 as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.

The main international document aimed at a complete ban on nuclear tests is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty adopted in 1996; however, the treaty has not yet entered into force. A total of 187 states have signed the treaty, and 178 have ratified it.

In his agenda "Protecting Our Common Future," the UN Secretary-General emphasized that the resolution is an important tool to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and called on states that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so promptly."

The BIG noted in its statement France has conducted approximately 210 nuclear tests since 1960, including those in its colonial territories:

"These tests had devastating effects on humans and the environment, including powerful shock waves, thermal radiation, and radioactive contamination.

France's nuclear tests have been condemned by the international community and various organizations through multiple documents and platforms. In particular, the UN and international nuclear monitoring groups have considered France's nuclear tests in Polynesia illegal, demanding official apologies and compensation for their negative impacts. Various international conferences and seminars have also addressed the issue, including COP29, where the adverse social and environmental effects of France's nuclear tests were condemned."

The statement concluded that the populations living in these former colonial territories continue to express dissatisfaction over France's failure to recognize the negative impacts and provide adequate compensation:

"These documents and condemnations are primarily conducted within the framework of human rights, environmental protection, and international law."