PROGRESS REPORT BY H.E. Mr. NOBUYASU ABE,
THE REPRENSENTATIVE OF JAPAN
ON COOPERATION TO FACILITATE
THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE TREATY

Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of
the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

New York, 2001

Mr. President,
Distinguished Delegates,

It is my great honor to be given this opportunity to make a report on the progress so far made, on behalf of Japan who has been coordinating the efforts to promote the early entry into force of the Treaty.
At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the Presidency of the Conference. I am confident that under your excellent guidance, our gathering will be fruitful and strengthen the momentum towards the entry into force of the Treaty. I wish to assure you of my full support in the execution of your responsibility.

Mr. President,

Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other people concerned for having taken the trouble to convene this Conference under the current difficult circumstances. I would also like to express my heart-felt congratulations to the Secretary-General and the United Nations who have recently received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The terrorist attacks of September 11 were heinous and outrageous acts of violence. Japan condemns such acts in the strongest terms. We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and pledge ourselves to the fight against terrorism.

Mr. President,

Let me take this opportunity to reaffirm the significance of the early entry into force of the Treaty.

First, there is no room for doubt that the cessation of all nuclear test explosions and all other nuclear explosions as stipulated by the CTBT is and continues to be a very effective means to constrain the development of nuclear weapons in the nuclear weapon states. The early entry into force of the Treaty will provide a decisive impulse to accelerate the work being pursued at the Conference on Disarmament as well as in other international fora, including bilateral negotiations.

Second, the cessation of all nuclear test explosions and all other nuclear explosions should decisively impede the development and possession of nuclear weapons in the non-nuclear weapon states.

Clearly, the CTBT must be regarded as one of the most important elements sustaining the international regime for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, based on the NPT, which envisages the total elimination of nuclear weapons. For this reason, it should be emphasized that facilitating the early entry into force of the Treaty is of continuing significance for the international community.

Mr. President,

Since the last Conference convened in Vienna in October 1999, the nations of the world, including the ratifiers and the signatories of the CTBT, international organizations and NGOs, recognized the importance of the CTBT, and devoted their resources to the entry into force of the Treaty. The significance of the early entry into force of the Treaty has also been confirmed in international instruments, such as the Final Document adopted at the 2000 NPT Review Conference.
Japan was selected as the one to promote cooperation, in accordance with the provisions of the Final Declaration adopted at the last Conference. Japan has done its utmost to promote cooperation to facilitate the early entry into force of the Treaty. Japan has sent letters from its Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, dispatched missions to various countries and taken every other possible measure to urge the countries concerned to sign and ratify the CTBT.
As the results of efforts by nations around the world, international organizations and NGOs, the number of the signatories has increased by 7 and that of ratifiers by 34 during the two years since the last Conference. As of today, the number of signatories stands at 161 and that of ratifiers at 85. Among the 44 States whose ratification is required for the CTBT to enter into force, 5 States - Turkey, Bangladesh, Russia, Chile and Ukraine - have ratified the Treaty while none has signed during the same period. Thus, among the 44 States, 31 States have already ratified, 10 States have signed but not ratified and 3 States have not yet signed. I would like to pay my deepest respect to those States which have signed or ratified the Treaty for their decisions, and welcome their participation in the CTBT family.
As can be seen in the fact that numerous countries have already signed or ratified the CTBT in the five years since its opening for signature, the Treaty is universally perceived as an instrument of major importance in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Nevertheless, it should be noted with concern that the Treaty has not entered into force and there still remains a long way to go to satisfy the requirements for its entry into force. At this Conference, it is imperative to issue a strong message urging non-signatories and non-ratifiers to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible.

Mr. President,

In order to realize the entry into force of the CTBT at the earliest possible date, it is imperative above all that we continue to call on the countries listed in Annex 2 that have not yet signed or ratified the Treaty to sign and ratify it as expeditiously as possible.
Furthermore, it is important to further encourage and support the efforts of the Provisional Technical Secretariat to provide incentives for non-ratifiers to ratify the Treaty, for example by convening international cooperation workshops.

Mr. President,

In addition to urging signature and ratification of the Treaty, what should we do to promote its early entry into force?

In the first place, it is of paramount importance that we strongly call on all nuclear weapon states, and the two that carried out nuclear test explosions after the opening for signature of the Treaty and subsequently declared a moratorium, not to carry out any more nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions.

In the second place, the steady build-up of the verification regime is of crucial importance. The efforts that the Provisional Technical Secretariat has been making are to be held in high esteem.
We know that there are some arguments about verifiability among those who do not have a positive view on the ratification of the Treaty. Therefore, it is meaningful to have frank and intensive discussions on this issue among interested people including experts from NGOs if necessary.

Mr. President,

The realization of a world free of nuclear weapons is the wish of the vast majority of people in the world. It is the reality of international politics, however, that this cannot be achieved in a short period of time. Nevertheless, I will not abandon the hope. What we can do and should do now is to mobilize our wisdom and resources to steadily promote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. I believe that the entry into force of the CTBT will be a giant epoch-making step forward in the history of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Therefore, I would like to stress the importance of the commitment by all countries to making their maximum efforts to contribute to its realization.

Thank you.