U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday renewed his call for the earliest entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear tests across the world.
"Now it is time for the international community to exercise political will and act," Ban said in his message to the CTBT: Science and Technology 2013 Conference in the Austrian capital Vienna.
The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in September 1996 but has not yet entered into force.
The Conference was organized by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which is tasked with building up the Treaty's verification regime so that it is fully operational when it enters into force, and with promoting signatures and ratifications.
Out of a total listed number of 195 States, 183 have so far signed the CTBT and 159 have ratified it.
For the Treaty to enter into force, ratification is required from the so-called Annex 2 States. Of these, China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States are yet to ratify the measure.
In his video message, Ban told participants at the conference that the CTBT and CTBTO are essential for success in deterring further nuclear testing, and advancing a nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
"That is why conferences of this kind are so important. And it is why I renew my call for the earliest entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty," Ban said.
"I look forward to our continued work to prevent nuclear proliferation and to rid the world of all such weapons," the U.N. chief added.
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