United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution urging all States who haven’t done so to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
With 14 votes in favour and one abstention (Egypt), the resolution welcomed progress made towards universalization of the Treaty, noting that 183 States have signed the Treaty and 166 States have deposited their instruments of ratification.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes.
Adopted by the UN General Assembly under resolution 50 (1996), the Treaty will enter into force 180 days after the date of deposit of the instruments of ratification by all States listed in its Annex 2.
This resolution – adopted by the 15-member Council at a meeting on maintenance of international peace and security – further noted that of the 44 States listed in Annex 2, 41 have signed and 36 have both signed and ratified the Treaty, including several nuclear weapons States.
Of the 44 States included in Annex 2, all have signed with the exceptions of the North Korea, India and Pakistan.
Five of the 44 Annex 2 States have signed but not ratified the Treaty: China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States.
Security Council, by the terms of the resolution, urged all States that have either not signed or not ratified the Treaty – particularly the eight remaining Annex 2 States – to do so without further delay.
Further, the Security Council called on all States to refrain from conducting any nuclear-weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, and to maintain their moratoria in that regard, and to provide the required support to enable the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to complete all of its tasks in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
Background:
A landmark international treaty opened for signature in 1968, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entered into force in 1970, and was extended indefinitely on 11 May 1995.
Its objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
It represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.
