US Urged To Sign, Ratify Nuclear-test-ban Treaty

Ratifiers And States Signatories Urge Outstanding States To Sign And Ratify The Comprehensive Nuclear-test-ban Treaty

Ratifiers and States Signatories of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) called on those States that had not done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay.

A Final Declaration was adopted by consensus today at the Conference to promote the CTBT. In it, States "affirmed the importance and urgency of signatures and ratifications without delay to achieve early entry into force of the Treaty". Particular mention was made of those ten outstanding Annex 2 States whose ratification was a prerequisite for the Treaty's entry into force. These States are: China, Colombia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States of America . Three other States - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India and Pakistan - must both sign and ratify the Treaty.

Referring to the nuclear test announced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in October 2006, States underlined the need for a peaceful solution of the nuclear weapons issues through successful implementation of the Joint Statement agreed upon during the Six-Party Talks. They concurred that the declared test highlighted the urgent need for early entry into force of the Treaty and the completion of the CTBT verification regime.

States also welcomed the progress made in signing and ratifying the Treaty, which had achieved near universal adherence with signatures by 177 States, of whom 140 had also ratified the Treaty. Noting with concern, however, that the Treaty had not entered into force eleven years after its opening for signature on 24 September 1996, they stressed that international developments since the 2005 Conference "make entry into force of the Treaty more urgent today than ever before".

They called upon all States to sustain the voluntary moratorium on refrain from carrying out any nuclear explosions. They also urged continuing voluntary adherence to a moratorium on nuclear testing, but pointed out that it did not replace a permanent and legally binding commitment to end nuclear weapon test explosions.

Eleven practical measures were agreed upon to promote the CTBT's entry into force. They agreed that the Special Representative should continue to assist the States coordinating the process to promote the entry into force of the Treaty.

ENDS

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