Thirty-third Session of the Organization of American States approves resolution in support of CTBT

The Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly has approved a resolution in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The resolution, entitled "Inter-American support for the CTBT" was adopted on 10 June 2003 in Santiago, Chile, at the final plenary meeting of the thirty-third Session of the OAS General Assembly. It is the fourth resolution on the CTBT to have been adopted by the OAS General Assembly since 2000. The resolution urges all States of the Hemisphere to participate at the highest possible level in the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 3 to 5 September 2003. It also urges those States of the Hemisphere that have not yet done so, in particular States whose signature and ratification are required for the Treaty to enter into force, to sign and ratify so that the Treaty may enter into force as soon as possible. In addition, it urges States to refrain from contravening the spirit of the obligations of the Treaty. The resolution entrusts the OAS Permanent Council, through its Committee on Hemispheric Security, with holding a special meeting on a worldwide comprehensive nuclear test ban in 2004 with the participation of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), the United Nations, the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and other international institutions with competence in the area. The OAS has 34 Member States. It is the foremost political forum for multilateral dialogue and action in the American region. The OAS plays a central role in working towards many of the goals shared by the countries of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, including the promotion of peace and security. Major policies and directions are established by the OAS General Assembly, which brings together the Hemisphere's foreign ministers once a year.