CNTBTO Condemns Korea Nuke Test

Statement by Tibor Tóth

Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

Vienna, 9 October 2006: I share the strong concern expressed worldwide at today’s announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that it conducted a nuclear test. Such an action goes against the letter and the spirit of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which I continue to hope that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will sign and ratify. The demonstrated support for the Treaty, which has been signed by 176 States and ratified by 135 of them, highlights the commitment of the international community to establishing a universal and verifiable comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty. It is my hope that the current situation will further underscore the importance of the CTBT and lead to even stronger efforts to ensure its early entry into force.

The Provisional Technical Secretariat supports the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in establishing, provisionally operating, testing and evaluating the verification system foreseen under the Treaty. In accordance with its mandate, the Provisional Technical Secretariat is providing States Signatories with data collected by the International Monitoring System currently being built up, as well as data products prepared by the International Data Centre. These data and products assist States Signatories in their analysis of events.

Statement by Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko
Chairperson of the Preparatory Commission for the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

Vienna, 9 October 2006

I wish to express my profound consternation at the announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that it conducted a nuclear test on 9 October 2006.

This act, and the flagrant disregard by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of the demands of the international community, constitute a threat to international peace and security and deserve universal condemnation. These have jeopardized the process of global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and aggravated regional security.

I call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty without delay.

I urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea not to engage in any nuclear testing and to exercise in the future every restraint, in order to avoid steps that will have major international repercussions. I call also on all States for maximum restraint and to continue a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions and other nuclear explosions.

I urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return immediately to the six-party talks without precondition, and to work towards the expeditious implementation of the 19 September 2005 joint statement and, in particular, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, with a view to achieving the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner and to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in north-east Asia.

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