A three-day meeting in Vienna of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signatories ended today with the issuing of a final declaration calling for universal ratification of the treaty (see GSN, Sept. 4).

In the final declaration, delegates reaffirmed “the importance of the treaty and its entry into force for the practical steps for the systematic and progressive efforts towards nuclear disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation,” according to a CTBT Organization press release.

The declaration also contains 12 measures to help promote the treaty’s entry into force, including the creation of regional seminars to “increase awareness” of the treaty’s role, the CTBT Organization release said.  The declaration also recommends that the organization’s Provisional Technical Secretariat continue to provide legal aid to countries with respect to treaty ratification and implementation, as well as establish a contact point to improve information sharing.

Conference delegates also expressed concern that the treaty had still not entered into force seven years after opening for signature, according to the release.  They stressed the need for the 12 countries that need to ratify the treaty for it to enter into force to promptly do so (CTBT Organization release, Sept. 5).

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