JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE CTBT

September 20, 2006
New York

1. We, the Foreign Ministers who have issued this statement, reaffirm our Support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which would rid the world of nuclear weapons test explosions and would contribute to systematic and progressive reduction of nuclear weapons and the prevention of nuclear proliferation.
2. In this year marking the 10th anniversary of the Treaty's opening for signature, we emphasize that the CTBT is a major instrument in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The Treaty was an integral part of the 1995 agreements by the States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allowing the indefinite extension of the Treaty. The early entry into force of the CTBT was recognized at the 2000 Review Conference of the NPT as a practical step to achieving NPT nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation objectives, and has also been reaffirmed as being of central importance by the UN General Assembly.
3. We recall the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, that adopted in September 2005 a declaration stating that participating states would "spare no efforts and use all avenues open to us in conformity with international law to encourage further signature and ratification of the Treaty" and deciding on a set of measures to progress towards this goal.
4. We affirm that the CTBT will make an important contribution towards preventing the proliferation of materials, technologies and knowledge that can be used for nuclear weapons, one of the most important challenges the world is facing today. Thus, the entry into force of the Treaty, within the broader framework of multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, is more urgent today than ever before. Progress on this issue would also contribute to a positive outcome of the preparatory process for the 2010 Review Conference of the NPT, which will start in the spring of 2007.
5. We welcome that the CTBT has achieved near universal adherence with signature by 176 State and ratification by 135 States as of today. Of the 44 States whose ratification is necessary for the entry into force of the Treaty, ten have yet to do so. We call upon all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay, in particular those whose ratification is needed for its entry into force. We recognise the extensive range of bilateral and joint outreach efforts by signatories and ratifiers to encourage and assist States which have not yet signed and ratified the treaty. We commit ourselves individually and together to make the Treaty a focus of attention at the highest political levels and to take measures to facilitate the signature and ratification process. We support the efforts by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to facilitate such process by providing legal and technical information and advice.
6. We call upon all States to continue a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions. Voluntary adherence to such a moratorium is of the highest importance, but does not have the same permanent and legally binding effect as the entry into force of the Treaty. We reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty's basic obligations and call on all States to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty pending its entry into force.
7. We welcome the progress made in building up all elements of the verification regime, which shall be capable of verifying compliance with the Treaty at its entry into force. We will continue to provide the support required to complete and to operate the verification regime in the most efficient and cost-effective way. We will also promote technical cooperation to enhance verification capabilities under the CTBT.
8. In addition to its primary function, the CTBT verification system will bring scientific and civil benefits, including for tsunami warning systems and possibly other disaster alert systems, through civil and scientific applications of waveform and radionuclide technologies and use of the data. We will continue to seek ways to ensure that these benefits will be broadly shared by the international community.
9. We appeal to all States to make maximum efforts toward the early entry into force of the CTBT. On our part we dedicate ourselves to realizing this goal.