Dominica ratifies CTBT, universalising Treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Commonwealth of Dominica ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 30 June, completing universal adherence to the Treaty across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The move takes the running total of CTBT ratifications to 173, including all 33 countries in the region.

Speaking from Vienna, CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd hailed this key development as a new chapter for nuclear disarmament in the region.

"It is an honour to welcome yet another ratification in the 25th anniversary year of the CTBT. The Commonwealth of Dominica’s ratification marks a new era of partnership. It also universalizes the Treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean, demonstrating the region’s exemplary leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.”

The Caribbean island nation’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit pledged to join the CTBT during a visit by the Executive Secretary on 7 February this year.

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, welcomed the ratification.

"The preservation of the norm against testing, alongside the norm against use, is critical to our global disarmament and non-proliferation objectives,” she said. “It is a norm we must vehemently protect.”

Dominica joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1984 and has ratified the Treaty of Tlatelolco (the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean), which established the world’s first nuclear-weapon-free zone in a densely populated area, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions everywhere, by everyone, and for all time. Adherence to the Treaty is nearly universal, with 186 Signatory States and 173 ratifying states. However, to enter into force, the Treaty must be ratified by all 44 States listed in its Annex 2, for which eight ratifications are still required.

The CTBTO has established an International Monitoring System (IMS) to ensure that no nuclear explosion goes undetected. Currently, 303 certified facilities – of a total of 337 when complete – are operating around the world. The data collected by the IMS can also be used for a wealth of civil and scientific purposes, including disaster mitigation measures such as tsunami warnings and the tracking of radioactive releases from a nuclear accident.

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