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Excerpted from the Inventory of International Organizations
and Regimes 2001 published by the CNS International Organizations and Nonproliferation
Project. A complete PDF copy of the 2000 edition of the Inventory is available in the Publications section of the NTI website.
Opened for signature: 24 September 1996.
Duration: The Treaty is of unlimited duration. Each State Party has the right
to withdraw from the CTBT if it decides that extraordinary events related to
its subject matter have jeopardized its supreme national interests.
Number of signatories: 160.
Number of ratifications: 76.
Number of signatures of the 44 states noted in (Article XIV) Annex 2: 41.
Number of ratifications of the 44 states noted in (Article XIV) Annex 2:
31.
Depository: UN Secretary-General.
Structure: The Treaty itself includes a Protocol in three
parts: Part I detailing the International Monitoring System (IMS); Part II on
On-Site Inspections (OSI); and Part III on Confidence Building Measures. There
are also two Annexes to the Protocol: Annex 1 detailing the location of various
treaty monitoring assets associated with the IMS; and Annex 2 detailing the
parameters for screening events.
Basic obligations: The CTBT bans any nuclear weapon test
explosion or any other nuclear explosion (i.e. true zero yield).
Organization: The Treaty establishes a CTBT Organization
(CTBTO), to be located in Vienna, to ensure the implementation of its
provisions, including those for international verification measures.
Verification and Inspections: The Treaty's verification regime
includes an international monitoring system (IMS) composed of seismological,
radionucleide (16 laboratories), hydroacoustic and infrasound monitoring; consultation
and clarification; on-site inspections; and confidence building measures. The
use of national technical means, vital for the Treaty's verification regime,
is explicitly provided for. Requests for on-site inspections must be approved
by at least 30 affirmative votes of members of the Treaty's 51-member Executive
Council. The Executive Council must act within 96 hours of receiving a request
for an inspection.
Treaty compliance and sanctions: The Treaty provides for
measures to redress a situation and to ensure compliance, including sanctions,
and for settlement of disputes. If the Conference or Executive Council
determines that a case is of particular gravity, it can bring the issue to the
attention of the United Nations.
Amendments: Any state party to the Treaty may propose an
amendment to the Treaty, the Protocol, or the Annexes to the Protocol.
Amendments shall be considered by an Amendment Conference and shall be adopted
by a positive vote of a majority of the States parties with no State party
casting a negative vote.
Entry-into-force: The Treaty will enter into force 180 days
after the date of deposit of the instruments of ratification by all States
listed in Annex 2 to this Treaty, but in no case earlier than two years after
its opening for signature. Annex 2 includes 44 States members of the Conference
on Disarmament (CD) with nuclear power and/or research reactors. (Of these 44,
all have signed except for the DPRK, India, and Pakistan.) If the Treaty has not
entered into force three years after the date of the anniversary of its opening
for signature, a conference of the States that have already deposited their
instruments of ratification may convene annually to consider and decide by
consensus what measures consistent with international law may be undertaken to
accelerate the ratification process in order to facilitate the early entry into
force of this Treaty.
The first Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty was held in Vienna, from 6 to 8 October 1999. The conference
reaffirmed the importance of a universal and internationally and effectively
verifiable comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty and pledged to keep working
for universal ratification of the Treaty, and its early entry into force as
provided for in Article XIV. The full text of the report of the Conference,
as well as press releases and statements made by delegates can be found at the
CTBTO web site:
http://www.ctbto.org.
Review: Ten years after entry into force, a Conference of the
States Parties will be held to review the operation and effectiveness of the
Treaty.
From September 25-27, 2001 in accordance with Article XIV of the CTBT, the
second Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Treaty will be
held in New York. All states, both Signatories and non-signatory are invited to
attend the Conference as well as specialized agencies, IGOs, and NGOs. The first
Conference was held in Vienna on October 6-8, 1999. Its Final Declaration called
upon all states that had not yet signed CTBT to sign and ratify it as soon as
possible and refrain from acts that would defeat its object and purpose in the
meantime.
CTBTO: The CTBTO consists of two organs, the Preparatory Commission
(a plenary body) and the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS).
PTS: The PTS began its work on March 17, 1997 and has an
international staff of approximately 200 members from 64 countries. The PTS
cooperates with the host countries in the development and running of an
international network of 321 monitoring stations.
PrepCom: The Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO has so far held
thirteen meetings. In 2001, the Commission will hold three sessions: Fourteenth
Session on April 24-27, Fifteenth Session on August 21-24, and Sixteenth Session
on November 19-23.
The Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO held its Thirteenth Session in Vienna
on November 20-21, 2000. The States Signatories welcomed recent signatures (Guyana,
Kiribati, Nauru, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) and ratifications (Belarus, Cambodia,
Gabon, Kiribati, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives and the UAE)
of the CTBT and commented on the progress made in the implementation of the
work program of the Commission. The Commission adopted a program of work and
budget for 2001 totaling U.S.$83,499,500. Ambassador Jaap Ramaker of Netherlands
was elected as Chairperson for the first half of 2001.
The Twelfth Preparatory Session took place in Vienna from August 22-24,
2000. The States Signatories welcomed the recent ratifications of the CTBT
(Chile, Iceland, Portugal, Russia) and commented on the progress made in the
implementation of the verification programs. The Commission considered reports
of WG/A and WG/B, adopted recommendations contained in the reports and reports
as a whole.
From June 6-8, 2000, a Regional Workshop for CTBTO International Cooperation
and National Implementation /Ratification Procedures was held in Beijing by
the CTBTO PrepCom. The 47 participants from the Asia-Pacific region, inter alia,
reviewed ways and means of promoting cooperation to facilitate the Treaty's
verification technologies, and discussed ways to maximize benefits of the application
of these technologies.
The Eleventh Preparatory Session was held in Vienna from May 2-5, 2000. The
States Signatories welcomed progress made by some States Signatories with respect
to the completion of their national ratification processes. Special importance
was given to the drafting of the Operational Manual on On-site Inspections.
The Commission approved the Agreement to Regulate the Relationship between the
UN and the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO. The Agreement brings the Commission
into a formal working relationship with the UN and provides a framework for
cooperation between the two organizations. The Commission now can participate
in the UN meetings in the same capacity as IAEA and the WTO.
Ambassador Olga Pellicer, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United
Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna, was the Chairperson
of the Preparatory Commission for the second half of 2000. The seventh session
of the Preparatory Commission, largely devoted to the budget, was held in Vienna,
November 9-13, 1998. The Organization increased its budget from $27.4 million
to $58.5 from 1997 to 1998. The budget for 2000 is $79.94 million. The Preparatory
Commission's task is to establish the verification regime for the CTBT.
The main task of the Preparatory Commission is to establish the global
verification regime foreseen in the Treaty so that it will be operational by the
time the Treaty enters into force. A worldwide network of 321 monitoring
stations will be built up and run by the host countries in cooperation with the
Provisional Technical Secretariat. Some 100 stations are already transmitting
data to the International Data Center (IDC) in Vienna via satellite-based global
communications infrastructure. Procedures for on-site inspections and
confidence-building measures will be developed.
On March 14, 2001, the Commission signed the Sixteenth Facility Agreement
with Peru that will enable the Commission to establish a new auxiliary seismic
station and upgrade the existing auxiliary station on its territory.
The Preparatory Commission has three subsidiary bodies: Working Group A on
administrative and budgetary matters, and Working Group B on verification
issues, as well as the Advisory Group on financial, budgetary and associated
administrative issues. Both Working Groups make proposals and recommendations
for consideration and adoption by the Preparatory Commission at its plenary
sessions. Ambassador Tibor Toth of Hungary is Chairman of Working Group A and
Dr. Ola Dahlman of Sweden is Chairman of Working Group B. The Advisory Group,
with Andre Gue of France as its Chairperson, is composed of experts of
international standing serving in a personal capacity.
In his statement on April 25, to the 2000 NPT Review Conference, Wolfgang Hoffmann,
Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBT, noted that a
background paper NPT/CONF.2000/2 prepared by the United Nations Secretariat
for this Review Conference, offered comprehensive information on the CTBT and
its global verification system. It also referred to the Preparatory Commission,
established on 19 November 1996 for the purpose of carrying out the necessary
preparations for the effective implementation of the CTBTO and preparing for
the first session of the Conference of States Parties to the Treaty. This background
paper was coordinated with the Provisional Technical Secretariat. The key for
the viability of the Treaty is its global verification system. It comprises
an International Monitoring System; consultation and clarification; on-site
inspections; and confidence-building measures - to ensure the reliable detection
and identification of any ambiguous event, and to provide a credible deterrent
to clandestine nuclear testing. The CTBT is thus not only the expression of
an intention of each State party not to carry out any nuclear explosion. It
is, at the same time, also a commitment by each State signatory to ensure the
Treaty's viability by establishing a regime to monitor adherence and to detect
violations.
Hoffmann added that the Treaty provides that the global verification regime
shall be capable of meeting its verification requirements at entry into force.
Therefore one of the main tasks of the Preparatory Commission is to build up the
worldwide network of stations that comprise the International Monitoring System
(IMS). This cost-effective network of 170 seismological, 60 infrasound, 11
hydroacoustic and 80 radionuclide stations - supported by 16 radionuclide
laboratories - will be capable of registering vibrations underground, in
the sea and in the air as well as detecting traces of radionuclides released
into the atmosphere by a nuclear explosion. The stations will transmit a steady
stream of data generated by these four complementary technologies, in near real
time, via a global satellite communications system to the International Data
Center, at the seat of the PrepCom in Vienna, where all the data will be
processed. All data, raw or processed, from the monitoring facilities will be
made available to the States Signatories. There are provisions on consultation
and clarification for dealing with ambiguous events. As a final verification
measure, an on-site inspection may be requested.
Hoffmann noted that the CTBTO is building up the International Monitoring
System according to a schedule determined by its annual program and budget. From
the start of its operations in 1997 up to and including the 2000FY budget year,
the amount of money budgeted for capital investment in establishing or upgrading
monitoring stations is U.S.$ 92.1 million. This sum represents about 43 per cent
of the total capital investment required to complete the entire monitoring
network.
In parallel, the CTBTO has also readied the International Data Centre, the
nerve center of the verification regime, for the first analysis of data,
transmitted from the IMS stations via the Global Communications Infrastructure.
With the installation of the second of four releases of application software, in
1999, the IDC is capable to distribute IMS data and IDC bulletins and additional
information to States Signatories seven days a week, assisting them in verifying
Treaty compliance.
Hoffmann briefly reviewed the CTBTO after three years of its work: ten
facility agreements or arrangements have been signed, out of which five have
entered into force. In addition, 57 States have completed interim exchanges of
letters; 204 IMS site surveys have been completed, where required. Site surveys
for 53 additional stations are either under way or pending contract; and 77 site
surveys for the Global Communications Infrastructure have been completed. In
many cases, these site surveys and subsequent civil work were performed by or in
cooperation with IMS staff. 88 IMS stations have been installed or substantially
meet specifications. The installation of 65 additional stations is either under
way or pending contract. Global Communications Infrastructure (GCI) Very Small
Aperture Terminals (VSATs) have been installed at 26 of the IMS, National Data
Centers and developmental sites, with 41 more under way. Global satellite
coverage was established with the commissioning of four GCI hubs and the frame
relay infrastructure to link these hubs to the IDC in Vienna. GCI links to four
independent sub networks were commissioned, and a VSAT link to the independent
sub-networks is now undergoing acceptance testing. 25 IMS stations are sending
data through the GCI and into the IDC on a test basis, with many more stations
planned in 2000. The IDC established the capacity to receive and test data over
the GCI.
Preparatory work was initiated this year to provide, for the first time,
test IMS data and IDC products to States Signatories. The Commission is also
preparing the groundwork for on-site inspections, provided for by the Treaty.
The OSI Operational Manual is being developed as a priority task and the PTS has
been supporting the Group of Friends of the OSI Programme Coordinator. Initial
specifications for equipment related to the four IMS technologies have been
adopted and a passive seismic system for aftershock detection will be received
shortly for testing and training, plans for which are being developed. Upon
invitation of the Kazakhstan Government, a field experiment simulating aspects
of an on-site inspection was conducted in Kazakhstan in October 1999, on the
basis of a 100-tonne chemical explosion for calibration purposes.
To help States signatories to benefit from the CTBT and from the work of
the Commission, two International Cooperation Workshops were held in Vienna and
Cairo and two more are scheduled for this year in Beijing and Lima. They explore
the possible uses of verification technologies and IMS data for other peaceful
applications, examine the potential for regional or international cooperation in
collecting, analyzing and using data, they also highlight the fundamental
importance of the CTBT for global peace and security, and they promote signature
and ratification of the Treaty. The support of States signatories has also been
reflected in the collection rate of the assessed contributions, which is 100 per
cent for the 1996 budget, over 97 per cent for 1997, over 96 per cent for 1998,
over 95 per cent for 1999 and already close to 80 percent for 2000. The budget
for 1998 was U.S.$ 58.4 million and for 1999 it was U.S.$ 74.7 million.
The Agreement to Regulate the Relationship between the United Nations and the
Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO was signed in New York on 26 May 2000 by
the Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Executive Secretary Wolfgang Hoffmann.
The Agreement will enter into force upon its approval by the UN General Assembly.
The Preparatory Commission approved the Agreement during its eleventh session,
held from 2 to 5 May 2000.
Executive Secretary: Ambassador Wolfgang Hoffmann (Germany)
Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO,
Provisional Technical Secretariat,
Room E-0750,
Vienna International Center,
P.O. Box 1200, A-1400 Vienna,
Austria.
Tel: (431) 26030 6200.
Fax: (431) 26030 5877.
http://www.ctbto.org
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