SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN MESSAGE, CALLS FOR REDEDICATION TO ‘NOBLE WORK’ OF BRINGING NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN INTO FORCE

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the fifth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), delivered by Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, in Vienna, 17 September:

I am pleased to send my greetings to the fifth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.  I wish to thank the Government of Austria for enabling this event to take place in such a historic setting.

This Conference provides a unique opportunity to underscore the importance of the Treaty and to seek agreement on steps that would facilitate its early entry into force.

Your participation today reaffirms the vision that inspired the conclusion of the CTBT.  The Treaty would outlaw all nuclear tests and move us towards the larger goals of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and preventing their proliferation.

The Treaty’s Preparatory Commission has made significant advances in preparing for the establishment of the future CTBT Organization and the Treaty’s verification regime, including the International Monitoring System.  I am also encouraged that the Treaty has now been signed by 177 States, with 140 ratifications.  These ratifications include 34 of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, whose ratification is essential for its entry into force.

Next week, the Treaty will pass a new milestone:  the eleventh anniversary of its opening for signature.  This will not be a time for celebration, but for rededication to the noble work that lies ahead in achieving the Treaty’s entry into force.  Persistent efforts on the part of States and civil society will be required in order to achieve that historic goal.

The Treaty is a major instrument in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, as reiterated in the Joint Ministerial Statement of September 2006.  I call upon those States that have not signed or ratified the CTBT to do so as soon as possible, especially States whose ratification is needed for the Treaty’s entry into force.  I also urge States to maintain their moratoria on all types of nuclear explosions and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty.

Through such cooperation, we can help ensure that 9 October 2006 will be recorded in history books as the date of the world’s last nuclear test ever.

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