Podcasts about ctbt

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, better known as the CTBT, expressly prohibits its signatories from testing nuclear weapons. It was opened for signature in 1996 and is now one of the most widely adopted treaties in the world.  Since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was opened for signature in 1996, there have been ten nuclear tests conducted worldwide. These include two tests by India and two by Pakistan in 1998, and six tests by North Korea between 2006 and 2017 .​ This limited number of tests since 1996 stands in stark contrast to the more than 2,000 nuclear tests conducted in the preceding five decades, highlighting the CTBT's significant role in establishing a global norm against nuclear testing My guest today, Robert Floyd, is the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which—as the name suggests—is the international body responsible for monitoring and facilitating the implementation of this treaty. It does so, in part, through a sophisticated global monitoring system capable of detecting a nuclear test anywhere in the world. I sat down with Robert Floyd on the sidelines of the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington, DC, earlier this month, where he explained why the CTBT has been so successful in constraining nuclear testing—and what challenges the treaty now faces amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. This episode is produced in partnership with Lex International Fund, a philanthropic fund dedicated to strengthening international law to solve global challenges. It is part of a series that demonstrates the impact of Treaties on state behavior that we are calling "when treaties work"

Nuclear weapons still loom large on the world stage. So why has the number of nuclear tests dropped so dramatically?Today's guest is Megan Slinkard, Chief of the Software Applications Section in the International Data Centre at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Based in Vienna, Megan has worked in nuclear explosion monitoring for more than 10 years and is really at the coal face of the monitoring work that the organisation does.We discuss Megan's path to nuclear testing, how the CBTO has helped to create a culture where nuclear testing is rare, and how monitoring nuclear tests has helped bolster the CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty).00:00 - Intro02:41 - Megan's origin story13:05 - What does CTBTO do when they detect an unusual event?23:00 - How monitoring and testing can add robustness to a treaty30:01 - Dan's final thoughtsLINKS:Megan Slinkard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-slinkard-4905b2167/CTBTO: https://www.ctbto.org/Dan Klein: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dplkleinZühlke: https://www.zuehlke.com/enWelcome to Data Today, a podcast from Zühlke.We're living in a world of opportunities. But to fully realize them, we have to reshape the way we innovate.We need to stop siloing data, ring-fencing knowledge and looking at traditional value chains. And that's what this podcast is about. Every two weeks, we're taking a look at data outside the box to see how amazing individuals from disparate fields and industries are transforming the way they work with data, the challenges they are overcoming, and what we can all learn from them.Zühlke is a global innovation service provider. We envisage ideas and create new business models for our clients by developing services and products based on new technologies – from the initial vision through development to deployment, production and operation.

Salve, salve, Cacdista! Veja os destaques do Resumo de Notícias da semana (29 de outubro a 5 de Novembro): - Gaza: Brasil negocia com países saída de seus nacionais da Faixa de Gaza; - AGNU: Assembleia Geral da ONU aprova resolução pedindo trégua humanitária imediata no conflito israelo-palestino; - CSNU: Veja o balanço da atuação brasileira em sua presidência no Conselho de Segurança da ONU em outubro; - MTCR: Brasil é escolhido para presidir grupo de controle de tecnologia de mísseis; - CTBT: Rússia retira ratificação do Tratado de Proibição Total de Testes Nucleares; - Venezuela: Suprema Corte suspende resultado de eleições primárias da oposição.

Today, Les, Jess, Jamil, and Morgan discuss Russia's withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. Moscow says its de-ratification of the CTBT is merely designed to bring Russia into line with the U.S., which signed but never ratified the treaty, while others worry Russia is seeking to intimidate and evoke fear. All the while China and the United States are about to begin talks about nuclear arms control and non-proliferation. Is Russia's withdrawal from the CTBT symbolic, saber-rattling, or about something else? Does the war in Ukraine, which is entering its second winter, play into Russia's decision? Will the Biden Administration's talks with China lead to an agreement or is it just lip-service?Hear our experts debate these issues and more in 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines! Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-revokes-russias-ratification-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-2023-11-02/ https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/test-ban-treaty-at-a-glancehttps://www.icanw.org/what_is_the_nuclear_test_ban_treaty_and_why_is_russia_talking_about_leaving?locale=en https://www.reuters.com/world/china-agrees-nuclear-arms-control-talks-with-us-wsj-2023-11-01/ https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/china-agrees-to-arms-control-talks-with-u-s-87a44b38 https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/us-nuclear-arsenal-can-deter-both-china-and-russia Follow our experts on Twitter: @notTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer @lestermunson @morganlroach Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey is back from Hiroshima, where he participated in a Track 2 nuclear dialogue. The outlook for near-term arms control is still grim. Jeffrey and Aaron unpack the G7 statements on disarmament that the Japanese representatives wanted to re-affirm, the tacit condemnation of Russian and Chinese contained within, and the global theater around narrative control of arms control.  Russian, US, and third party interpretations of CTBT and disarmament discussions create significant friction, but the discussion is well moderated by the traditional 5:00 happy hour.    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

◎ 뉴스 톺아보기 1. 한일정상회담-尹대통령-기시다, 뉴욕서 30분 정상회담…"관계 개선 공감대"-'기시다 참석' CTBT 행사장서 약심회담 형식…2년9개월만 한일정상회담-대통령실 "한일 정상, 북핵 심각한 우려 공유…여러 갈등 해결 첫 걸음" 2. 국회 상황 & 대정부질문-주호영 "역지사지로 머리 맞대자" 박홍근 "한 강물 먹는 파트너"-한총리, 'IRA 미흡 대응' 지적에 "문제 일어난 자체 유감·송구"-추경호 "영빈관 예산, 대통령비서실이 기재부에 8월 공식요청" 3. 국힘-이준석 가처분 관련-與 "현 재판부, 정치영역까지 판단" 주장... 이준석 "지연전술"-법원, '이준석 가처분' 재판부 재배당 與요청 거부-홍준표 "비정상적 구조로 정부·여당 움직여 지지율 안돌아와"ART19 개인정보 정책 및 캘리포니아주의 개인정보 통지는 https://art19.com/privacy & https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info 에서 확인하실 수 있습니다.

「岸田首相がニューヨークに到着　国連総会で演説へ」　岸田首相は国連総会に出席するため、日本時間20日午後11時半ごろ、アメリカ・ニューヨークに到着した。台風14号対応のため出発を延期した岸田首相は、当初の予定より1日遅れて日本時間の午後11時半ごろ、ニューヨークに到着した。岸田首相はこのあと、国連総会で演説を行う予定で、ロシアによるウクライナ侵攻を非難し、国連の機能強化などを訴える見込み。滞在中には、9月に就任したばかりのイギリスのトラス首相ら各国首脳との会談のほか、CTBT(包括的核実験禁止条約)の発効を目指す、初めての首脳級会合を主催することにしている。国連総会に日本の首相が対面形式で出席するのは、3年ぶり。

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) | International Treaties and Conventions --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prostudyzone/message

VOA 한국어 아침 뉴스 프로그램 '워싱턴 뉴스 광장' 2020년 8월 26일 방송입니다. 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령이 오는 11월 대통령 선거의 공화당 후보로 공식 지명됐습니다. 재선에 성공한다면, 동맹국들의 ‘공평한' 분담금 지불을 주요 의제로 추진한다는 점을 분명히 했습니다. 트럼프 대통령이 재임에 성공한다면 북한과의 정상 외교를, 바이든 행정부가 들어선다면 실무 협상 중심의 전통적 외교를 펼칠 것이라고 미국의 전문가들이 내다봤습니다. 유럽연합(EU)이  포괄적핵실험금지조약 CTBT 발효를 위해 미국과 북한 등 관련국들의 행동이 필요하고 모든 나라가 핵실험 유예를 준수해야 한다고 강조했습니다. 방송 시간: 한반도 오전 5:00~6:00 (UTC 20:00~21:00).

Jeffrey and Anne attended the CTBTO's 2019 Science and Technology Conference in Vienna, which means this is another Wienerpod! Aaron calls in to get the lowdown on the state of the CTBT and the evolving technological environment for nuclear test detection.  Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

Nuclear weapons testing is mostly a thing of the past: The last nuclear weapon test explosion on US soil was conducted over 25 years ago. But how much longer can nuclear weapons testing remain a taboo that almost no country will violate? In an official statement from the end of May, the Director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) expressed the belief that both Russia and China were preparing for explosive tests of low-yield nuclear weapons, if not already testing. Such accusations could potentially be used by the U.S. to justify a breach of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This month, Ariel was joined by Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies and founder of armscontrolwonk.com, and Alex Bell, Senior Policy Director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Lewis and Bell discuss the DIA’s allegations, the history of the CTBT, why it’s in the U.S. interest to ratify the treaty, and more. Topics discussed in this episode: - The validity of the U.S. allegations --Is Russia really testing weapons? - The International Monitoring System -- How effective is it if the treaty isn’t in effect? - The modernization of U.S/Russian/Chinese nuclear arsenals and what that means. - Why there’s a push for nuclear testing. - Why opposing nuclear testing can help ensure the US maintains nuclear superiority.

From a Catholic perspective, let's first discuss the question of nuclear weapons. (See below a recent statement coming from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.) Then we'll take some time to update efforts by "solidarity minded" candidates for public office in California! USCCBAn ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are contradictory to the very spirit of the United Nations. We must therefore commit ourselves to a world without nuclear weapons, by fully implementing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, both in letter and spirit. —Pope Francis to UN Conference to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, March 2017 In 1963 Saint John XXII wrote in Pacem in Terris: “Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control.” Support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation has been emphasized by Blessed Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. The U.S. Bishops have worked for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation for decades. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of global efforts to curb and reverse the spread of nuclear weapons. One-hundred-and-ninety-eight countries have ratified the treaty, including the five acknowledged nuclear powers: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China. Only four nations have not: India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea. The NPT prohibits non-nuclear states from acquiring nuclear weapons (non-proliferation), requires nuclear states to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons (disarmament), and guarantees access to peaceful nuclear technology (nuclear power). Years ago, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev called for abolishing all nuclear weapons. Former Secretaries of State and Defense George Shultz, William Perry and Henry Kissinger and Senator Sam Nunn have promoted a nuclear-free world. Past presidents Barack Obama and Russian Dmitry Medvedev committed “our two countries to achieving a nuclear free world.” The Trump administration's plans for the U.S. nuclear stockpile will be articulated in a forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review. The administration will also have the opportunity to pursue an extension of New START beyond its 2021 expiration date, an extension supported by many experts and Russia as “fundamental to global security.” New START Treaty: In 1991, the United States and Soviet Union ratified the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This treaty limited the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers) that each country could deploy. The treaty also incorporated a solid set of verification measures the two nations could use to monitor each other's nuclear arsenals and compliance with the treaty. Today the United States and Russia still hold about 90% of all nuclear weapons, large arsenals left over from the Cold War. START expired in 2009 and with it the verification protocols, but both nations agreed to keep its provisions in effect while they negotiated a START follow-on treaty. Implementation of a New START Treaty was critical because verification ensures transparency and even modest reductions in the number of weapons can set the stage for future reductions. The U.S. and Russia signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on April 8, 2010, which was ratified by the Senate on a solid bipartisan vote of 71 to 26. The Holy See has “welcome[d] and recognize[d] the ongoing successful implementation of New START.” The New START Treaty: reduces deployed strategic warheads to 1550, 30 percent below the existing ceiling; limits both nations to no more than 700 delivery vehicles; and includes new verification requirements. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Despite U.S. involvement in initiating the negotiations, in 1999 the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that would stop nuclear testing. Some Senators who voted “no” expressed concerns about the ability of the United States to maintain its arsenal in the absence of testing and others were concerned about verifying compliance with the treaty. Prominent scientists have argued that the U.S. can safely maintain its nuclear arsenal without testing and that the ability of the international community to verify compliance is amply demonstrated by detections of tests in North Korea. One hundred and fifty-one other nations have ratified the CTBT, including UK, France, and Russia. The United States' failure to ratify the CTBT prevents the treaty's immediate entry into force. The Holy See declared, “There is no reason for procrastination.” It is not known when the CTBT may be submitted to the Senate for ratification. P5+1 Agreement with Iran: In recent years, serious questions were raised regarding Iran's nuclear program. In response, talk of military intervention increased, and crippling international sanctions were instituted to the detriment of Iran's economy and its citizens. Following the election of Iranian President Rouhani, the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany and France (P5+1) entered into diplomatic negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program and international sanctions. In July 2015, after 20 months of concerted collaboration, the P5+1 reached an agreement with Iran that aims to curb Iran's development of nuclear weapons while allowing for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In September, a cloture vote in the Senate that would have allowed rejection of the P5+1 deal failed, so the agreement stands. Recent Iranian launches of ballistic missiles, inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but not in violation of the P5+1 Agreement, have raised concerns. In October 2017, President Trump announced he would not certify to Congress that Iran was in compliance, despite U.S. and international evidence that Iran is observing the agreement. To date, Congress has not acted to undermine the agreement. Nuclear Ban Treaty: In a major and encouraging development, a majority of the world's nations supported adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the goal of leading towards their total elimination in July 2017. The vote was 122 in favor (including the Holy See), 1 against, and 1 abstention. Unfortunately, 69 nations did not vote, including all nuclear weapon states and all but one NATO member. USCCB POSITION: The United States and other nuclear powers must move away from reliance on nuclear weapons for security. USCCB urges the Administration and Congress to view arms control treaties not as ends in themselves but as steps along the way to achieving a mutual, verifiable global ban on nuclear weapons. A global ban is more than a moral ideal; it should be a policy goal. USCCB advocated for ratification of the P5+1 Agreement with Iran in 2015. The USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, reflecting the longstanding position of the Holy See, urged our nation to pursue diplomacy to ensure Iran's compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Church did not weigh-in on the technical details of the agreement, but consulted with many experts on the broad outlines required for a credible and verifiable agreement. Led by Pope Francis, the U.S. bishops and Holy See continue to support the P5+1 Agreement with Iran as a “definitive step toward greater stability and security in the region.” The Holy See notes that the agreement “requires further efforts and commitment by all the parties involved in order for it to bear fruit.” During the negotiations on the Nuclear Ban Treaty, USCCB and the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions issued a joint call for a strategy to eliminate nuclear weapons globally USCCB plans to support Senate ratification of the CTBT if and when it is introduced. The Church opposes the use of nuclear weapons, especially against non-nuclear threats. The U.S. should commit to never use nuclear weapons first and to reject use of nuclear weapons to deter non-nuclear threats. The Church urges that nuclear deterrence be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations. ACTION REQUESTED: 1. Urge bold and concrete commitments to accelerate verifiable nuclear disarmament, including taking weapons off “launch on warning” status to prevent a catastrophic accident and making deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals. 2. Oppose the investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in modernizing nuclear weapons systems that ultimately we must work to dismantle. 3. Support serious negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and other prudent measures. 4. If it is introduced, urge Senators to support ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to bring it into force. 5. Encourage Congress and the Administration not to take any actions that could undermine the agreement between the P5+1 and Iran. For further information: visit http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-andpeace/nuclear-weapons/index.cfm or contact Stephen Colecchi, Director, Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3196 (phone), 202-541-3339 (fax), scolecchi@usccb.org.

How do you prove someone tested a nuclear weapon? Researchers, Steven Czyz, Lily Ranjbar, and Salam Alhawsawi from the Radiation Detection Group at Oregon State are developing devices smaller than Pop-Tarts that use the metallic alloy CZT to detect radioactive isotopes of the noble gas xenon. This helps prove if someone tested a weapon, supporting the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) that's been signed by 183 nation states.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, but the treaty did not go into effect because the Senate refused to ratify it. Twenty years later, the Obama administration still favors ratification of the treaty as part of its nuclear disarmament strategy. President Obama appears to be attempting to go around the Senate by signing a U.N. Security Council Resolution that would, according to a National Security Council spokesman, “call on states not to test and support the CTBT’s objectives,” but would not be legally binding. Professor Kontorovich of Northwestern University School of Law and Professor Spiro of Temple Law School joined us to debate the international & national security law implications of these actions. -- Featuring: Prof. Eugene Kontorovich, Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Prof. Peter J. Spiro, Charles R. Weiner Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law.

I caught up with my guest today, Arms Control Association president Daryl Kimball from his hotel in Vienna. Daryl, along with hundreds of diplomats around the world were gathered for the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.   This is a treaty that bans the testing of nuclear weapons and establishes a global monitoring system to ensure that no one can secretly test a nuclear bomb. The treaty was signed by the USA and most countries on the planet back in 1996, but it has not been ratified by some key countries, including the United States, and accordingly has not formally entered into force.    Despite that, Daryl Kimball explains how the CTBT has become a very effective treaty over the past two decades, in particular through deployment of a system of monitoring stations around the world that can detect anomalous seismic activity and radioactive discharge into the atmosphere. We also discusses the implications of the continues non-ratification of the treaty by the USA.

185 - Nuclear Test Monitoring and the CTBT

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is an international treaty, still being ratified, that bans all nuclear tests. An important ingredient to the test is monitoring, whether nuclear tests will be performed nonetheless. To this end, the CTBT Preparatory Commission has established a world-spanning monitoring system that relies on seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide monitoring. In this episode, our guest is Randy Bell who runs the international data center and is thus responsible for running the monitoring network and evaluating the collected data.

This 21st issue of Spectrum features an address by the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, who became the first head of state to address the CTBTO Preparatory Commission at its 40th Session on 13 June 2013. Compaoré shares his vision for peace and international security in a world without nuclear weapons, calling on those remaining States that have not yet signed or ratified the CTBT to do so in order that the Treaty can become legally binding. He also describes the usefulness of CTBTO monitoring data which “are of great importance in defining effective responses to natural risks and disasters.” As Co-Presidents of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT at the UN Headquarters in New York on 27 September, Hungary’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, János Martonyi, and Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marty M. Natalegawa, explain why the CTBT’s entry into force is of paramount importance. Outlining their priorities in promoting this objective, Martonyi calls on the remaining Annex 2 States, especially the United States, to ratify. Appealing to the United States as a NATO partner, he states that “ratification by the United States is in no way detrimental to NATO’s nuclear deterrent, but that it would, on the contrary, enhance global security.” Expressing his concern over the nuclear tests announced by North Korea in 2006, 2009 and 2013 which have exacerbated tensions in the region, Natalegawa says: “Such nuclear tests highlight the urgent need for the CTBT’s entry into force “ Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, maintains: ‘It is abundantly clear that all non-proliferation efforts are critical in tackling the threat of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons. A fully ratified and implemented CTBT is an indispensable building block for these efforts.” He also highlights the potential use of CTBT monitoring data in helping to mitigate the effects of natural or man-made disasters, particularly in terms of monitoring volcanic eruptions, which he explains is of great interest to Iceland. This issue also features excerpts of keynote addresses made at the CTBT: Science and Technology 2013 Conference in Vienna, Austria, in June 2013. These include: former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Hans Blix; former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, Ellen Tauscher; former Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Siegfried Hecker; and Director for Strategic Affairs in the French Ministry of Defence, Michel Miraillet. The keynote speakers present a range of arguments as to why countries that have not yet ratified the CTBT should delay no longer. Miaki Ishii from Harvard University describes how the CTBTO’s seismic stations “serve unexpectedly well as powerful telescopes to view inside the Earth.” Detailed knowledge of the internal structure of the Earth is essential, she explains, for unravelling its dynamics and history. An article on ‘Joining forces to reduce radioxenon emissions’ highlights some of the recent collaboration between the CTBTO and radioisotope producers such as the Belgian-based Institute for Radioelements to achieve this goal. With preparations for the next Integrated Field Exercise in Jordan in 2014 well underway, Spectrum 21 features a photo story depicting ‘Build-Up Exercise III’ which took place in Hungary from 26 May to 7 June 2013. This exercise will simulate an on-site inspection almost in its entirety. Also on this theme, an article by the CTBTO’s Aled Rowlands describes the role of airborne imagery in an on-site inspection.

In this 20th issue, the Foreign Minister of Iraq, Hoshyar Zebari, reports on the steps taken by the Iraqi parliament towards ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the importance Iraq attaches to promoting the Treaty’s entry into force. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who helped the Kennedy administration draft the Partial Test Ban Treaty, describes why the case for ratification of the CTBT by the United States is stronger than ever. Zia Mian from Princeton University focuses on the role of civil society in South Asia in advocating nuclear disarmament. Columbia University’s Paul Richards explains the seismic findings of the nuclear test announced by North Korea on 12 February; we also elaborate on the radionuclide findings almost two months later. Astronomer Margaret Campbell-Brown from the University of Western Ontario explains how CTBTO data have helped us understand the characteristics of the meteor over the Ural mountains on 15 February. Anders Ringbom and Anders Axelsson of the Swedish Defense Research Agency describe the key role played by noble gas detection systems in responding to the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 and some of the lessons learned. This issue also features an interview with CTBTO Executive Secretary Tibor Tóth in which he discusses a range of issues related to nuclear non-proliferation, including the main challenges and achievements during his eight years as head of the organization. Finally, the paintings by Elin O’Hara Slavick from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the cover and inside Spectrum 20 illustrate the power of art in educating and communicating political messages.

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.

In this 19th issue, the Foreign Ministers of Chile and Finland, Alfredo Moreno and Erkki Toumioja, make a strong political pitch for the Treaty and also highlight the contribution of CTBT verification data for disaster mitigation. They are joined by two prominent South Asian thinkers: former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala, and Hindustan Times Foreign Editor Pramit Pal Chaudhuri. Nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker explains why nuclear armed States stand to gain more than they lose from CTBT ratification and Tatsujiro Suzuki, Vice Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, provides an invaluable insight into the Fukushima accident. Elena Sokova from the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation explains why nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education should be sustainable and global, with the CTBTO’s Capacity Development Initiative a welcome development in this field. Ik Bum Kang from the Korea Institute of GeoScience and Mineral Resources outlines some of the challenges of operating and maintaining primary seismic station PS31, one of the CTBTO’s closest station to the North Korean nuclear test site. Former CTBTO staff member Kirsten Haupt describes how practice makes future on-site inspection inspectors perfect, and guest writer Angela Leuker how the perception of nuclear war has changed over recent decades.

This first issue gives an overview of the status of the verification regime build-up and, as an overarching theme, it highlights the significant role of the Treaty in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. An interview with Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, and a special feature article by Peter Marshall, an expert on seismology, focus on this theme. This issue also provides an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission, in addition to regular columns on verification science, the potential civil and scientific applications of the CTBT verification technologies and a column on the PTS staff, which introduces the PTS mission statement.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum looks at the ‘mechanisms’ of Conferences on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, focusing in particular on the upcoming Conference, which will take place in Vienna from 3 to 5 September this year. An interview with Ambassador Tom Grönberg, who is chairing the preparatory process of the 2003 Conference, and a special feature article by the former United Nations Under-Secretary General Jayantha Dhanapala, concentrate on this theme. This issue also provides an overview of the Commission's work over the past six months, including an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission. In addition, the cover story by David McCormack, a Canadian seismologist, gives an example of the potential benefits of civil and scientific applications of the CTBT verification technologies.

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

This roundtable conference was organized by the Mission of Mexico in Vienna as Co-Chair of the Article XIV Conference and Member of the Non Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) with the support of the Arms Control Association (ACA). This conference seeks to present the latest technical and political arguments that could help Member States in their internal efforts to achieve signing/ratification, as well as to reiterate the broad support by the international community to achieve early entry into force of the CTBT. Welcome by Amb. Alejandro Díaz, Permanent Representative to the International Organizations of Mexico in Vienna (Member of the NPDI); Key findings of the 2012 US National Academy of Sciences Report on the CTBT, Dr. Ellen D. Williams, Chair, 2012 National Academy of Sciences Report on CTBT; Benefits and progress of the CTBT International Monitoring System, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Director of the International Data Centre Division, CTBTO; Pathways towards entry into force: Indonesia’s process of ratification. Amb. I Gusti Puja, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the International Organizations in Vienna; International support for the CTBT, Amb. Nils Daag, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the International Organizations in Vienna, Co-Chair of Article XIV Conference; Moderator: Tom Collina, Research Director, Arms Control Association

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Full Text

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.

In the latest issue of Spectrum, the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, calls for a total ban on nuclear testing. In his article entitled The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): Helping to create a truly global community, Gorbachev states that we should not be content with the current virtual moratorium on nuclear testing “because commitments that are not legally binding can easily be violated.” He urges the nine ‘rejectionist’ countries that must still ratify the CTBT to do so in order for the Treaty to enter into force. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, states that “the CTBT stands as a beacon, lighting the path towards a peaceful world, free from nuclear explosions, whether for military or for peaceful purposes. The Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal mentions some of the reasons that make a ban on nuclear testing more necessary than ever, such as concerns about the North Korean nuclear programme and the lack of clarity about the full extent of the Iranian nuclear programme.

Reflecting the renewed political prominence of the CTBT, this issue of Spectrum has an abundance of political and scientific contributions from prominent authors. No less than four foreign ministers explain why the CTBT is important to their countries: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Moroccan counterpart, Taieb Fassi Fihri, who will be jointly presiding over the Article XIV conference; Alberto Romulo, Foreign Minister of the Philippines and Carl Bildt, Foreign Minister of Sweden, the country currently holding the Presidency of the European Union. With regard to the articles by political analysts, Chinese academic and nuclear arms control expert, Shen Dingli, explains why the CTBT should be ratified by China. James Goodby, former U.S. diplomat and specialist on nuclear non-proliferation and security issues, places the CTBT into the wider context of nuclear non-proliferation.

Bharath Gopalaswamy, Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University's Peace Studies Program, talks about infrasound detection to monitor nuclear tests at a luncheon seminar at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

Dr. Paul Richards from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, reviews the most important technologies for monitoring nuclear explosions in a variety of environments and the infrastructure associated with the monitoring effort at a luncheon seminar at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)

While the current global financial crisis has been dominating headlines recently, it is important not to neglect another complex and insufficiently regulated system: the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime. CTBTO Spectrum 12 highlights the crucial role that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) plays in this regime and is honoured to have an interview with the Academy Award-winning actor and UN Messenger for Peace, Michael Douglas, as well as articles by the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. Their contributions are complemented by articles from Deepti Choubey of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Raymond Jeanloz of the University of California, Berkeley. Spectrum 12 also outlines the build-up of the International Monitoring System over the last decade, the Integrated Field Exercise 2008 for on-site inspections, the International Scientific Studies project to assess the readiness and capability of the CTBT to detect nuclear explosions worldwide, and Part 2 of the ongoing cooperation between the CTBTO and the World Meteorological Organization.

In view of the current political climate, this edition of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on the role of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in the wider non-proliferation and disarmament context. We are privileged to have received articles from several internationally acclaimed leaders and political figures including President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, former US Senator Sam Nunn, and US senior diplomats, Ambassadors Max Kampelman and Tom Graham. Their contributions are complemented by an article by Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association, and there are also feature articles on the Integrated Field Exercise 2008 for on-site inspections, the challenges of establishing monitoring stations in Antarctica, the ongoing International Scientific Studies project to assess the readiness and capability of the CTBT to detect nuclear explosions worldwide, and the cooperation between the CTBTO and the World Meteorological Organization.

Beginning with an editorial from Executive Secretary Tibor Toth, this issue features Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s views on the CTBT, a cover story by Dr. Hans Blix on “going the last mile to banish nuclear weapons testing,” a recap of the 2007 Article XIV Conference, an article by Dr. Rebecca Johnson in which she highlights the “renewed opportunities to bring the CTBT into force,” as well as the dangers presented by the ten countries who still had not ratified at the time. Additionally, there is an update on the Infrasound station IS11 in Cape Verde as well as a reminder of the importance of maintenance in terms of inspecting hydroacoustic station HA01 at Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Furthermore, “recent developments in infrasound monitoring technology” are discussed. Continuing with verification, Saey, Becker, and Wotawa discuss how data on the 2006 nuclear weapons test in North Korea was picked up by the IMS. Then Professor Kromp-Kolb speaks to the importance of IMS data for global climate change research.

The African region, which this issue of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on as an overarching theme, is a particularly good example for the ever increasing numbers of signatures and ratifications: Of those States, who signed and ratified the Treaty in 2004, 75 and 66 percent respectively, were from the African region. Besides looking at the relations between Africa and the CTBT, this issue of CTBTO Spectrum provides an overview of the Commission’s work over the past six months, including an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) geographical region and the CTBT. It is the first issue in a series which will be covering all six Treaty-defined regions. The LAC region has always played an important role in contributing towards ensuring the entry into force and universality of the CTBT. When the Treaty opened for signature in 1996, 21 LAC States signed it. In the meantime, the number of signatures has increased to 27, with 20 LAC countries having also ratified the CTBT as of 6 December 2004.