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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation 6th Anniversary of CTBT Opening for Signature, September 24'Six years after the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opens for signature, 166 States have signed and 94 have ratified', Press Release, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), Vienna, September 24. Today marks the sixth anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Treaty, which bans all nuclear test explosions in any environment, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, and opened for signature on 24 September 1996. Seventy-one states signed the Treaty on that day, and today it is steadily approaching universality, with 166 signatures and 94 ratifications. In the year since the fifth anniversary of its opening for signature, the Treaty has gained five additional signatures and 13 ratifications. To enter into force, however, the Treaty must be ratified by 44 named States, listed in its Annex 2. These States possess either nuclear power or nuclear research reactors, and participated in the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament. Forty-one of the Annex 2 States have signed the Treaty, and 31 have ratified it. Under the terms of the Treaty, a global verification regime to monitor compliance with the Treaty must be operational at the time of entry into force. This verification regime, based on an International Monitoring System (IMS) of 337 monitoring facilities around the world and the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, provides for a consultation and clarification process, on-site inspections and confidence-building measures. The data collected by the IMS and analysed in the IDC will be used by States, upon entry into force, to monitor Treaty adherence and, if necessary, to reach a decision as to whether or not the Treaty has been contravened. Excellent progress has been made in establishing the global verification regime over the six years. Out of the 337 IMS facilities provided for in the Treaty, site surveys for 280 stations, equivalent to 87% of the total number of sites, are now complete. Altogether 135 stations have been completed or substantially meet specifications, and 104 additional stations are under construction or in contract negotiations. Some 70 facilities are contributing data to the IDC. Today, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is recognized as a cornerstone in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. It has the firm backing of the international community, and is supported by cutting edge verification technology. States which sign and ratify the Treaty join a global community committed to ensuring that the world is a safer and more secure place. The anniversary is being marked in Vienna with a reception hosted by the City of Vienna. Source: CTBTO website, http://www.ctbto.org. © 2002 The Acronym Institute. |