U.S. Provides $23.8M for CTBTO

The United States yesterday provided $23.8 million for operations of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Bat Treaty Organization (see GSN, Sept. 18, 2007).

Washington has now earned its voting rights within the organization preparing for implementation of the global prohibition on nuclear test blasts.  The United States lost voting rights last year when it failed to pay its full contribution.

Taking exchange rates into account, the funding provided yesterday is slightly less than the required U.S. contribution for 2008.  It represents more than one-fifth of the organization’s $111 million operating budget for this year.

“This is a very welcome development,” CTBTO Executive Secretary Tibor Toth said in a press release.  “The United States is a major contributor to this organization.  We are dependent on their funds to build up the verification regime.”

The organization plans to build 35 monitoring stations in 2009 and to maintain operations at another 250 sites.

The treaty has yet to enter into force.  It must first be ratified by China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States (Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty release, Feb. 26).

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