Preparatory Commission
concludes Twenty-Fifth Session

PI/2005/22

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has concluded its Twenty-Fifth Session from 14 to 18 November 2005, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Taous Feroukhi, Permanent Representative of Algeria.  Ninety-one States Signatories participated in the session.

Mr Tibor Toth, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission, reported on progress in the implementation of the verification regime and on administrative, legal and coordination matters.  He informed delegates that currently about two thirds of the 321 International Monitoring System stations and 16 radionuclide laboratories had been built.

States Signatories agreed by consensus that the 2006 budget of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO will be $51 804 400 and Euro 44 421 300.  They welcomed the successful outcome of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty which was held in New York from 21 to 23 September 2005, as well as the adoption of its Final Declaration and Measures to Promote the Entry into Force of the CTBT.  States Signatories also welcomed the signature of the Treaty by Lebanon and its ratification by the Cook Islands, Djibouti, Madagascar and Vanuatu since the last session of the Commission.

The Preparatory Commission elected Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine, as its Chairperson for 2006.  Vice-Chairpersons for the same period are the representatives from South Africa (Africa), Czech Republic (Eastern Europe), Peru (Latin America and the Caribbean), France (North America and Western Europe) and China (South East Asia, the Pacific and the Far East).

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment.  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 headquarters in New York. To date, it has been signed by 176 States and ratified by 125. It will enter into force when it has been ratified by all 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty. Thirty-two of these States have so far deposited their instruments of ratification.

For further information on the CTBTO, please see www.ctbto.org or contact:
Annika Thunborg, Chief, Public Information  
T    +43 1 26030-6375  
E    [email protected]
M    +43 699 1459 6375       
I    www.ctbto.org