Eleventh Anniversary of the Nuclear Test Ban Pact

Nuclear test ban pact's anniversary should spark push for ratification - Ban Ki-moon

As the eleventh anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) approaches, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on participants at a meeting in Vienna designed to foster its entry into force to intensify efforts toward this goal.

Next week's milestone "will not be a time for celebration, but for re-dedication to the noble work that lies ahead in achieving the Treaty's entry into force," Mr. Ban said.

"Persistent efforts on the part of States and civil society will be required in order to achieve that historic goal," he added in a message to the Fifth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, which was delivered by Sergio Duarte, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

The Treaty, which would outlaw all nuclear tests, moves the international community "towards the larger goals of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and preventing their proliferation," he said.

Mr. Ban said the Treaty's Preparatory Commission has made "significant advances" in preparing for the establishment of the future CTBT Organization and the Treaty's verification regime. The pact has been signed by 177 States, with 140 ratifications, including 34 of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, whose ratification is essential for its entry into force.

"I call upon those States that have not signed or ratified the CTBT to do so as soon as possible, especially States whose ratification is needed for the Treaty's entry into force. I also urge States to maintain their moratoria on all types of nuclear explosions and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty," the Secretary-General said.

The 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty and required for its entry into force all have nuclear power or research reactors. Of those, the 10 that have not ratified the CTBT are China, the United States, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), India, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, Indonesia, Iran and Colombia.

The 34 key States which have already ratified CTBT are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam.

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