Next week, diplomats from around the globe will meet in New York to promote the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This treaty bans all nuclear test explosions. The treaty has not taken effect because nine nations, including the United States, have yet to ratify it. The conference on the 24 and 25th, is meant to build support for bringing the CTBT into force.
Ambassador Florence Mangin of France is one of the conference's coordinators. She says the CTBT is now within reach because of a "new atmosphere created by the Obama administration since the speech in Prague and the American willingness to ratify the Treaty.....this conference will help the process of entry into force.”
The nine countries that have not ratified the CTBT are China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.
The United States is participating in the conference for the first time since 1999. That same year, the U.S. Senate voted against ratifying the treaty.
For more information please visit the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.
See also a 1999 letter from General Andrew Goodpaster to Senator Jesse Helms about ratifying the CTBT.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Stacy
Thanks for this update. Secretary Clinton's words at the UN this week about the CTBT gave me hope that something can actually be accomplished. It's important for the U.S. to lead by example on this issue.