News Review Special Edition

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International Developments, February 1 - April 1, 2003

Work to Prepare CTBT Regime Continues Into Seventh Year

On March 19, the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation Preparatory Commission (CTBTO PrepCom) marked six years of work at its headquarters in Vienna. Although the CTBT, opened for signature in September 1996, has yet to enter into force, the PTS has been coordinating the efforts of the Preparatory Commission to develop the global technical and scientific infrastructure required to ensure the establishment of a reliable treaty regime. According to a CTBTO PrepCom statement: "The Provisional Technical Secretariat was established by resolution on November 19, 1996 at a meeting of states signatories to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It started work...in Vienna on March 17, 1997 with just four staff members. Today the secretariat has a staff of 268 drawn from 70 member states. The Secretariat carries out such tasks as are assigned to it by the Preparatory Commission. It is responsible for supervising and monitoring the provisional operation of the International Monitoring System (IMS) and the International Data Centre, which receives, processes, analyses and reports on IMS data. It is also responsible for the development of operational manuals to guide the various components of the verification regime, and for administrative matters such as budgeting and planning."

On March 17, Côte d'Ivoire became the 98th state - and the 16th African nation - to ratify the CTBT. By that date, 166 states had signed the treaty. Entry into force, however, is dependent on ratification by all 44 states named - in the treaty's Annex II - as operating nuclear reactors or research facilities on their territory. Thirty one Annex II have so far acceded to the accord. The thirteen non-states-parties are: Algeria, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, US, Vietnam. Of these, three - North Korea, India and Pakistan - have yet to sign the treaty.

In Kuala Lumpur on February 25, the Final Declaration (Paragraph 79) of the 13th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Movement of Non-Aligned States (NAM) "reiterated the Movement's long-standing principled position for the total elimination of all nuclear testing. They stressed the significance of achieving universal adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, including by all the nuclear-weapon states, which, inter alia, should contribute to the process of nuclear disarmament." The call was welcomed by the CTBTO PrepCom, which noted in a March 3 press release that the Summit is the NAM's "highest decision-making authority, and its decisions are action-oriented." Ten of the Nam's 116 members states - Algeria, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and Vietnam - are Annex II 'hold out' states.

The Executive Secretary of the CTBTO PrepCom, Wolfgang Hoffmann of Germany, visited Russia from March 25-27. His visit included a trip to the former Soviet nuclear testing site at Novaya Zemyla. On March 26, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement observed: "The situation around [the] CTBT was discussed in the broad context of the present tense situation in the world which makes it particularly important to strengthen international-legal, multilateral instruments of counteracting the spread of mass destruction weapons. The Russia side stressed the intense efforts being exerted by Moscow to ensure that the treaty comes into force at an early date. ... A common opinion was expressed on the need to bring active diplomatic pressure on those countries which have not yet ratified or have not signed [the] CTBT and on which its coming into force depends. At the same time, it is inadmissible to supplant political work in the legal field with campaigns of intimidation, let alone 'counterproliferation by force'."

Note: on February 21, the Global Security Newswire reported that the US was looking ahead to replacing Mr. Hoffmann as Executive Secretary of the CTBTO in 2004, by which date he will have completed seven years in the post. According to the newswire, quoting an unnamed US official, Washington interprets a CTBTO PrepCom regulation, stipulating that no staff member serve more than seven years in one position, as applying to the Executive Secretary. The report quotes the official as follows: "We are not trying to remove Ambassador Hoffmann prior to the end of his tenure in office. However, there is a limited tenure policy with the CTBTO and, therefore, given the importance of the job we do think it is important to look for a good replacement, recognizing that Ambassador Hoffmann is not going to be able to remain in the job indefinitely". However, the report also quotes CTBTO spokesperson Daniela Rozgonova as commenting that "Mr. Hoffmann is not a staff member, and the rule [only] applies to staff members in the professional category." The newswire further quoted Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control, Association (ACA) in Washington, expressing surprise "that the United States is so bold as to have an opinion about matters of principle on the CTBT when it has abandoned its solemn commitments and promises to pursue the entry into force of the CTBT and has done much to undermine the CTBTO by unilaterally withdrawing support for work related to on-site inspections." Kimball added: "Ambassador Hoffmann has built the CTBTO from the ground up and by all accounts he has done a very good job. What probably matters more than arbitrary rotation rules is that the best person remains in the job..."

Reports: CTBT - US seeks to replace head of test ban treaty organization, Global Security Newswire, February 21; Final Declaration of the XIII Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement, Kuala Lumpur, February 24-25, 2003', XIII NAM Summit website,http://www.namkl.org.my; Non-Aligned Movement stresses importance of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, CTBTO PrepCom Press Release, March 3, http://www.ctbto.org; Cote d'Ivoire ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, CTBTO PrepCom Press Release, March 17; Provisional Technical Secretariat marks sixth anniversary, CTBTO PrepCom Press Release, March 19; Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov meets Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the Organization for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Wolfgang Hoffmann, Russian Foreign Ministry Statement, Document 749-26-03-2003, March 26; Executive Secretary visits nuclear test site at Novaya Zemyla, CTBTO PrepCom Press Release, April 1.

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© 2002 The Acronym Institute.