CTBT Library

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) which forms part of the Commission, occupies a special place in the history of disarmament and non-proliferation as well as in the history of international organizations. It has a number of features that distinguish it from other organizations and that have influenced the course of its history over the last 15 years.

In 2011, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) took further important steps towards fulfilling its mandate to promote the Treaty’s entry into force and establish the verification regime. International support for the Treaty continued to increase with Ghana and Guinea ratifying the Treaty, bringing the number of ratifications up to 155. As an Annex 2 State which must ratify the Treaty before it can enter into force, the decision by the Parliament of Indonesia on 6 December to ratify the Treaty was especially significant. Of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, 35 had ratified as of 31 December 2011. Once Indonesia has completed its ratification process, only eight Annex 2 States will still need to ratify. A total of 182 States had signed the CTBT by the end of 2011.

Prohibiting and Preventing Nuclear Explosions:Background Information for Parliamentarians on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

In 2010, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) took further important steps in the fulfillment of its mandate to promote the Treaty’s entry into force and establish the verification regime. International support for the Treaty continued to increase with Trinidad and Tobago and the Central African Republic ratifying the CTBT, bringing the number of ratifications to 153. Among the States that have ratified are 35 of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, whose ratification is required for its entry into force. Indonesia, Iraq, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea and Thailand also expressed their intention to initiate the ratification procedure. As of 31 December 2010, the CTBT had been signed by 182 States.

Preparatory Commission Organizational Structure

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Full Text