Ban-ki-Moon says high time CTBT came into force

Regretting that the treaty on nuclear test ban has not been brought into force over a decade after it was agreed upon, the UN Secretary-General today said the test conducted by North Korea recently was a reminder of the "urgency" of implementing it.      

The UN General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in September 1996 to ban any nuclear-test explosions anywhere.      

Ban said that the conclusion of the Treaty was "an important milestone in norm-setting and marked a significant achievement in field of disarmament and non-proliferation".      

"But for too long, it has not been brought into force," he said, adding the price for it is "high".      

"There is no doubt that the longer the Treaty is delayed, the greater the risks and consequences that nuclear weapons will again be tested," he said.      

Ban last week welcomed the Security Council's toughening of sanctions against North Korea and said the test "reminded the international community of the urgency of bringing the Treaty into force without further delay".      

He said the international community should "seize the current moment" and commended the new US administration for its commitment to work towards the ratification of the Treaty.      

The CTBT says it will enter into force 180 days after all 44 States mentioned in Annex 2 – those that possessed nuclear weapons or technology at the time of the opening for signature in 1996 – ratified it.