Afghanistan signs and ratifies the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on the seventh anniversary of the Treaty's opening for signature

Afghanistan signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 24 September 2003, on the seventh anniversary of the Treaty's opening for signature. Afghanistan's signature and ratification brings the total number of Treaty ratifications to 105. Of the 26 States in the Middle East and South Asia geographical region, 12 have now ratified the Treaty. The total number of Treaty signatures now stands at 169, with 19 in the Middle East and South Asia geographical region. During the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, which was held in Vienna from 3 to 5 September 2003, the Head of the Afghan Delegation announced the signature and ratification by the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan as a "clear demonstration of the government's readiness to cooperate for the successful implementation of the CTBT". The CTBT bans any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment. Drafted at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and adopted by the General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. To enter into force, the CTBT must be signed and ratified by the 44 States that formally participated in the work of the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament and that possess nuclear power or research reactors. Thirty-two of these States have ratified the Treaty.

The 105 States that have deposited their instruments of ratification of the CTBT are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

For further information on the CTBTO, please see www.ctbto.org or contact: 
Annika Thunborg, Chief, Public Information   
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