Uganda ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Uganda deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 14 March 2001. Uganda is the second member of the East African Community, after Kenya, hosting an International Monitoring System (IMS) facility to ratify the treaty. It is hoped that the ratification of the CTBT by Uganda will enhance the signature and ratification process in the region. So far, 75 States have deposited their instruments of ratification of the CTBT and 160 States have signed the Treaty. 

Uganda hosts a seismological station of the global network of 321 monitoring stations and 16 laboratories comprising the IMS. Under the CTBT, the IMS will record data necessary to verify compliance with the Treaty using four complementary technologies. The stations will be capable of registering vibrations from a possible explosion underground, in the seas and in the air, as well as detecting radioactive material which may have been released into the atmosphere.

The monitoring stations will transmit, via satellite, the data to the International Data Centre (IDC) at headquarters of the Preparatory Commission in Vienna, where the data will be used to detect, locate and characterise events. These data and IDC products will be 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 75 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, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine 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  
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