Sierra Leone ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Sierra Leone deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 17 September 2001, bringing the total of Treaty ratifications to 80. Sierra Leone is the eleventh State in Africa to ratify the Treaty. Under the CTBT, an International Monitoring System (IMS) records data necessary to verify compliance with the Treaty, using four complementary technologies.

The monitoring stations, located around the globe, are capable of registering vibrations from a possible explosion underground, in the seas and in the air, and can detect radioactive material which may have been released into the atmosphere. Stations transmit the data via satellite to the International Data Centre (IDC) at the headquarters of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission in Vienna, where it is used to detect, locate and characterise events. These data and IDC products are made available to the States Signatories for final analysis. The CTBT prohibits all nuclear weapon test explosions and any other nuclear explosion anywhere in the world. Drafted at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Treaty has so far been signed by 161 States. 

The 80 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, Malta, 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, Sierra Leone, 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 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