CND has been contacting embassies in London of countries that have signed but not ratified the global ban. In response to our inquiries, the embassy of Kazakhstan responded stating:
“Dear xxxxxxx,
Thank you very much for your letter and your interest in Kazakhstan’s non-proliferation and disarmament record.
Kazakhstan’s policy in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is determined by the country’s commitment to strengthening international security, developing cooperation among states, and increasing the role of international organizations in resolving global problems and conflicts.
At the high-level thematic meeting of the UN Security Council on the topic “Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Confidence-Building Measures”, organized by the Kazakh presidency of the UN Security Council on Jan. 18, our first president Nursultan Nazarbayev called on all countries to build a world without nuclear weapons by 2045 – the UN’s centennial.
“The strength is not in nuclear bombs and missiles. The trust of the world community is a real defence,” said the Kazakh President at the Security Council stressing that only nuclear disarmament and confidence-building measures through the complete elimination of nuclear arsenals constitute the only and absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
The President also noted that the nuclear weapons states bear the highest responsibility to humanity for preventing nuclear catastrophe.
“It is the largest nuclear powers that should be in the lead of the struggle for a nuclear weapons-free world and set an example by reducing WMD. This does not mean that the rest of the countries should stand by and that their actions are irrelevant”, said Nazarbayev.
On the day of the 26th anniversary of its accession to the United Nations – 2 March 2018, Kazakhstan officially signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the UN Headquarters.
Kazakhstan had participated in the elaboration and adoption of the Treaty, which is the first legally binding document in the history of nuclear disarmament. Its main provisions are in line with the principled position of Kazakhstan, which has taken a path of becoming a leader in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation after being a one-time holder of the world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal.
At the moment, the bill on the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is being reviewed in Majilis – the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s Parliament. It is our hope that the law on ratification will be adopted by the end of this year, in line with regular dates and terms of parliamentary review in Kazakhstan.
I hope that you will find this update helpful. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
Kind regards,
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Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom