Chilean representatives meet with Executive Secretary

A delegation of Chilean representatives at the fourth Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, which took place on 12 May 2006, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The delegation included Mr. Roberto Muñoz Barra, Senator, President of the Commission of Foreign Affairs of the Senate and Member of the Economic, Transport and Telecommunications and Interior; Mr. Hernan Larraín Fernández, Senator, Member of the Commission on Constitution, Legislation and Justice, Member of the Commission on Government, Decentralization and Regionalization; and Mr. Jorge Tarud Deccarett, Congressman, President of the Commission on Inter-parliamentary Affairs and Latin American Integration of the Congress and Member of the Defence Commission. The Executive Secretary provided an overview of the status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the work of the Commission in establishing the verification regime. He underlined the democratic nature of the CTBT verification regime and stressed that International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities were assets to their host countries. The Senators and the Executive Secretary also discussed the potential application of data and products for civil and scientific purposes, such as tsunami warning. Chile signed the CTBT on 24 September 1996, the day it was opened for signature, and ratified it on 12 July 2000. Seven IMS facilities are located on Chilean territory: Two auxiliary seismic stations on Easter Island and at Limon Verde; a hydroacoustic station on Juan Fernandez Island; two infrasound stations on Easter Island and Juan Fernandez Island and two radionuclide stations at Punta Arenas and at Hanga Roa on Easter Island.