Oman 154th State to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

On 23 September 1999, Oman became the 154th State to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. As at 23 September, the Treaty has been ratified by 45 States signatories (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mali, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uzbekistan).

Oman will contribute with one auxiliary seismic station to the International Monitoring System The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 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 General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at the United Nations in New York. The Treaty will enter into force 180 days after it has been signed and ratified by the 44 States that formally participated in the work of the 1996 session of the Conference on Disarmament and that possess nuclear power and research reactors, as listed in the Treaty.

China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States were among the first States to sign the Treaty. The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization is carrying out the necessary preparations for the effective implementation of the Treaty. The Commission is establishing the global verification regime foreseen in the Treaty, including an International Monitoring System, which will consist of a network of 321 seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide stations. The verification system will be capable of monitoring nuclear tests conducted in the atmosphere, underground or under water. The Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Preparatory Commission started work in Vienna on 17 March 1997. Its Executive Secretary is Wolfgang Hoffmann of Germany.

For further information on the CTBTO, please see www.ctbto.org or contact: 
Annika Thunborg
Chief, Public Information   
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