Holy See ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

The Holy See deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 18 July 2001. This brings the total of Treaty ratifications to 78. 161 States have so far signed the Treaty.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty prohibits all nuclear weapon test explosions and any other nuclear explosions anywhere in the world. 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 in New York. The Treaty will enter into force 180 days after it has been signed and ratified by the 44 countries that formally participated in the work of the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament and that possess nuclear power and research reactors as listed in the Treaty. China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States were among the first States Signatories of the Treaty. A Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization is carrying out the necessary preparations for the effective implementation of the Treaty. The Commission is establishing the global verification regime outlined in the Treaty. This regime includes the International Monitoring System (IMS), a network of 321 seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide stations and 16 radionuclide laboratories which will verify that no nuclear tests are being conducted in the atmosphere, underground or under water. 

The 78 States that have deposited their instruments of ratification of the CTBT are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People?s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

For further information on the CTBTO, please see www.ctbto.org or contact: 
Annika Thunborg
Chief, Public Information   
T    +43 1 26030-6375  
E    press@ctbto.org
M    +43 699 1459 6375