Israel signs Facility Agreement

A Facility Agreement between Israel and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was signed today by H.E. Ambassador Gabriella Gafni on behalf of Israel, and by Mr Wolfgang Hoffmann, Executive Secretary, on behalf of the Preparatory Commission.

Dr Gideon Frank, Head of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission, also attended the ceremony. The Agreement grants the Preparatory Commission the necessary legal authority to carry out work on International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities on Israel's territory.

The Commission has now signed 31 Facility Agreements with States hosting IMS facilities. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which Israel signed on 25 September 1996, bans all nuclear test explosions. Compliance with the terms of the Treaty is monitored by a global verification regime. The 337-facility International Monitoring System (IMS), a key part of the verification regime, uses seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide technologies to detect evidence of possible nuclear test explosions.

Under the terms of the CTBT, Israel hosts two auxiliary seismic stations (AS048 and AS049) and one radionuclide laboratory (RL09). The IMS network consists of 50 primary seismic stations, 120 auxiliary seismic stations, 60 infrasound stations and 11 hydroacoustic stations which monitor vibrations in the atmosphere or under water that may result from a nuclear explosion.

The IMS also includes 96 radionuclide facilities which sample or analyse radioactive material which may have been released during a possible nuclear explosion. Data from the IMS stations are transmitted to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, where they are processed and forwarded to the Member States for their review.

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