The UNSG stresses his full commitment to the CTBT
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, stressed his full commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and offered his “even stronger support” in pursuing the Treaty’s entry into force in a recent meeting with CTBTO Executive Secretary Mr. Tibor Tóth. The UNSG, who is also the depositary of the CTBT, regretted that although the Treaty has as many as 140 ratifications, it still has not entered into force. He pledged his assistance to overcome the political challenges that still prevents the CTBT from becoming a universally legally-binding international norm. The UNSG also recalled his chairmanship of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission back in 1998. This period had been very useful in providing him with a vision for the future of the CTBT, he said. He had a special attachment to the Treaty since his days in Vienna.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, meets with CTBTO Executive Secretary Mr. Tibor Tóth.
Mr. Tóth expressed pride in the UNSG being “the number one supporter of the CTBT”. He also reported on the results of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT which took place in September in Vienna. The Conference had adopted a strong Final Declaration by consensus. It was underlined that this was a rarity in today’s nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation world. The Declaration urged all countries that had yet to sign and ratify the Treaty to do so without delay, in particular those countries whose ratification was necessary for entry into force, and contained strong language on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.