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Joint Ministerial Statement on the CTBT, New York, September 23, 2004

A group of at least 30 foreign ministers met at the UN on September 23, 2004, and released the following statement urging support for the CTBT and its early entry into force. The effort, which was organized by Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, and Australia, reinforces a statement issued by many of the same countries in 2002. The full list of signatories to today's statement is not yet available. See also: Statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, below.

1. We, the Foreign Ministers who have issued this statement, reaffirm our Support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which would rid the world of nuclear weapons test explosions and would contribute to systematic and progressive reduction of nuclear weapons and the prevention of nuclear proliferation.
   
   
2. The CTBT is a major instrument in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The Treaty was an integral part of the 1995 agreements by the States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allowing the indefinite extension of the Treaty. The early entry into force of the CTBT was recognized at the 2000 Review Conference of the NPT as a practical step to achieving NPT nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation objectives, and has also been reaffirmed as being of central importance by the UN General Assembly.
   
   
3. We affirm that the CTBT will make an important contribution towards preventing the proliferation of materials, technologies and knowledge that can be used for nuclear weapons, one of the most important challenges the world is facing today. Thus, the entry into force of the Treaty, within the broader framework of multilateral arms control and non-proliferation efforts, is more urgent today than ever before. Progress on this issue would also contribute to a positive outcome of the 2005 Review Conference of the NPT.
   
   
4. We welcome that the CTBT has achieved near universal adherence with signature by 172 State and ratification by 115 States as of today. However, there are 44 States whose ratification is necessary for the entry into force of the Treaty. Twelve of these have yet to do so. We call upon all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay, in particular those whose ratification is needed for its entry into force. We commit ourselves individually and together to make the Treaty a focus of attention at the highest political levels and to take measures to facilitate the signature and ratification process. We support the efforts by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test -Ban Treaty Organization to facilitate such process by providing legal and technical information and advice.
   
   
5. We call upon all States to continue a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions. Voluntary adherence to such a moratorium is of the highest importance, but does not have the same permanent and legally binding effect as the entry Into force of the Treaty. We reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty's basic obligations and call on all States to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty pending its entry into force.
   
   
6. We welcome the progress made in building up the verification system, which shall be capable of verifying compliance with the Treaty at its entry into force. We will continue to provide the support required to complete and to operate the verification system in the most efficient and cost-effective way. We will also promote technical cooperation to enhance verification capabilities under the CTBT.
   
   
7. In addition to its primary function, the CTBT verification system will bring scientific and civil benefits, through civil and scientific applications of waveform and radionuclide technologies and use of the data. We continue to seek ways to ensure that these benefits will be broadly shared by the international community.
   
   
8. We appeal to all States to make maximum efforts to achieve a major step toward the early entry into force of the CTBT. On our part we dedicate ourselves to realizing this goal.

Source: Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mofa.go.jp.

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message on the occasion of the launching of the second Joint Ministerial Statement of support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, delivered in New York today by Nobuyasu Abe, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs:

I welcome the launching of the Joint Ministerial Statement of support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

On 10 September 1996, the United Nations General Assembly, with the support of 158 Member States, adopted the CTBT.  The adoption of the Treaty was a moment of great promise -– and a major step by the international community towards the goal of bringing 50 years of nuclear testing to an end.

However, eight years later, the promise of that moment has yet to be realized.  The Treaty still has not entered into force, as a number of States are still to sign and ratify it.  The longer its entry into force is delayed, the more likely that nuclear testing will resume.  Were this to happen, it would be a major setback in non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament efforts.  In the era in which we live, we cannot afford such a setback.

In my capacity as depositary of the Treaty, I therefore appeal once again to all States that have yet to sign or ratify the Treaty to do so without delay, particularly those States whose participation is required for the Treaty to enter into force.  I remind them that the Treaty contains far-reaching verification provisions to ensure full compliance with its provisions, including an international monitoring system, on-site inspections on short notice, and confidence-building measures.  Its entry into force would strengthen the security of States and peoples everywhere.

I also thank the ministers who are represented here today for their continued commitment to the goal of a world free of nuclear testing.  I encourage you all to continue your efforts to persuade other States of the clear merits of the Treaty.  And I join with you in hoping that this event will help generate renewed momentum to help bring the CTBT into force.

Source: 'Entry into force of nuclear-test-ban treaty would strengthen security of states, peoples everywhere, Secretary-General says at launch of ministerial statement', UN Press Release SG/SM/9499 DC/2935, September 23, 2004.

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