United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a new call on Friday for the last countries that have not yet ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to let it enter into force.
“Any country opposed to signing or ratifying it is simply failing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the international community,” he said.
“It is irresponsible to see this treaty still waiting to come into effect 15 years after it was opened for signature.”
“I urge all governments that have not yet signed or ratified this treaty to immediately do so,” Ban added. “I especially call for action by the countries whose ratification is essential for the treaty to enter into force.”
The treaty bans nuclear explosions for either military or civilian purposes, and has so far been signed by 182 countries and ratified by 157 of them.
But it will not come into effect until it is ratified by the 44 key countries possessing nuclear technology. Thirty-six have done so but holdouts include the United States, China, Egypt, Iran and Israel. India, Pakistan and North Korea have yet to sign the pact.
Since Ban made a similar appeal at UN headquarters in September, one key country, Indonesia, has ratified the agreement.
“The family of CTBT member states has grown to 182, 157 of which have ratified. The network has grown, station by station,” the head of the Vienna-based CTBT Organisation, Tibor Toth, said on Friday.
Ban added, “Now we have only eight countries and I am ready to meet all these leaders and if necessary travel with Ambassador Tibor Toth to those eight countries who are still reluctant or may have doubts about the ratification of this treaty.” The CTBT is seen by arms control advocates as a key measure for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
The unwillingness of the United States to ratify the treaty has been a key obstacle, with many analysts saying that US ratification would encourage other holdout countries to follow suit.
The CTBT also calls for a global system for monitoring nuclear explosions, which has been partially set up.
The U.S should sign the treaty it would encourage other holdouts to sign the the CTBT.but i think it is very difficult for U.S.A to ratify this treaty because it impedes U.S superpower designs.the main country which is hurdle in CTBT is U.S because if U.S will ratify the treaty so the China ,India and Pakistan.But due to Asymmetry in the region of Asia it sound Alice in wonderland that three Asian nuclear powers would ratify it.
Shut up Ban Ki….the UN is a worthless entity that only serves the powerful countries. First get rid of the concept of a veto, then get the powerful countries to disarm their nukes, resolve the Kashmir issue and the Palestine issue, and then we'll listen to you. Until then..get lost!
Well Thank you very Much The PAKISTAN TODAY “Current voluntary moratoriums on nuclear weapon tests are valuable, yet they are no substitute for a global ban,” UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned in August, calling for progress on the CTBT.
In the meantime, a preparatory commission has been set up in Vienna for the future treaty organisation, the CTBTO, with monitoring stations all around the world to detect nuclear explosions.
The data recorded has also helped authorities put out earthquake and tsunami warnings, such as after the March 11 disaster in Japan.
The CTBT has so far been signed by 182 countries and ratified by 154. af.
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