Disarmament Diplomacy

CTBTO PrepCom Meeting

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Preparatory Commission (CTBTO PrepCom) held its 13th Session in Vienna on November 20-21. A programme of work and budget for 2001 were approved. Just over half of the $83,499,500 budget is to be dedicated to, in the words of a Commission press release, "continue the establishment or upgrading of the global network of stations for the International Monitoring system (IMS)." 15% of the budget will be spent on consolidating the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, with a further 12% earmarked for the "installation of the global communications infrastructure to link the monitoring facilities by satellite to the IDC." The other main budget items are: administration, coordination and support (13%); funding for policy-making bodies (3.6%), "development of procedures, guidelines and the infrastructure required to support on-site inspections after the Treaty's entry into force" (2.7%); and evaluation of verification activities (1.1%). The 13th Session also appointed Ambassador Jaap Ramaker of the Netherlands as CTBTO PrepCom Chair for the first half of 2001, and renewed the appointment of Dr. Wolfgang Hoffmann of Germany as Executive Secretary of the Commission for a further 12 months, until March, 2002.

Report: CTBTO Preparatory Commission concludes its thirteenth session and adopts budget for 2001, CTBTO Press Release PI/PTS/13, November 28; CTBTO hopes US Govt, will ratify treaty, The Hindu, December 3.

© 2001 The Acronym Institute.