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Friday, November 17, 2006   #1  

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Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all
environments, for military or civilian purposes.
Status
The Treaty was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was
signed by 71 States, including five of the eight then nuclear-capable states. The CTBT
has now been signed by 176 states and ratified by 135. India and Pakistan, though not
nuclear weapons states as defined by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), did
not sign; neither did the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). India
and Pakistan conducted back-to-back nuclear tests in 1998, while North Korea
withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and tested a nuclear device in 2006.
Additionally, to enter into force, the treaty has to be ratified by the 44 Annex 2 states,
which is unlikely to happen in the near future. As noted, (as of April 2006) the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India and Pakistan have neither signed nor
ratified the CTBT, and the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran,
Israel and the United States have not ratified it. The United States, the PRC, India,
Pakistan, Israel, and the DPRK are the only nuclear-weapons states (NWS) which have
not ratified the Treaty yet.
Obligations
1. Each State Party undertakes not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or
any other nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at
any place under its jurisdiction or control.
2. Each State Party undertakes, furthermore, to refrain from causing, encouraging, or in
any way participating in the carrying out of any nuclear weapon test explosion or any
other nuclear explosion.
History
Arms control advocates had campaigned for the adoption of a treaty banning all
nuclear explosions since the early 1950s, when public concern was aroused as a result
of radioactive fall-out from atmospheric nuclear tests and the escalating arms race.
Over 50 nuclear explosions were registered between 16 July 1945, when the first
nuclear explosive test was conducted by the United States at Alamogordo, New
Mexico, and 31 December 1953. Prime Minister Nehru of India voiced the heightened
international concern in 1954, when he proposed the elimination of all nuclear test
explosions worldwide. However, within the context of the Cold War, skepticism in the
capability to verify compliance with a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty posed a
major obstacle to any agreement. On 13 October 1999 the United States Senate
rejected ratification of the CTBT.
Partial Test Ban Treaty, 1963
Limited success was achieved with the signing of the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963,
which banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater and in space. However,
neither France nor China, both nuclear weapon States, signed the PTBT.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, 1968
A major step towards the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons came with the signing
of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968. Under the NPT, non-nuclear
weapon states were prohibited from, inter alia, possessing, manufacturing or acquiring
nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. All signatories, including nuclear
weapon states, were committed to the goal of total nuclear disarmament.
Negotiations for the CTBT
Given the political situation prevailing in the subsequent decades, little progress was
made in nuclear disarmament until 1991. Parties to the PTBT held an amendment
conference that year to discuss a proposal to convert the Treaty into an instrument
banning all nuclear-weapon tests; with strong support from the UN General Assembly,
negotiations for a comprehensive test-ban treaty began in 1993.
One of the largest issues was the priorities of the different countries. The Non-aligned
movement countries were highly concerned with vertical proliferation (more and more
bombs, new bomb technology) while the Nuclear Powers were focusing on horizontal
proliferation (nuclear bombs being produced by states other than themselves).
Adoption of the CTBT, 1996
Intensive efforts were made over the next three years to draft the Treaty text and its
two annexes, culminating in the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT) on 10 September 1996 by the United Nations General Assembly in New
York.
US Ratification of the CTBT
The US has signed the CTBT, but not ratified it. There is ongoing debate whether or not
the US should ratify the CTBT. Proponents of ratification claim that it would:
1. Establish an international norm that would push other nuclear capable countries like
North Korea, Pakistan, and India to sign.
2. Constrain worldwide nuclear proliferation by vastly limiting a country's ability to
make nuclear advancements that only testing can ensure.
3. Not compromise US national security because the Science Based Stockpile
Stewardship Program serves as a means for maintaining current US nuclear
capabilities without physical detonation.

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