Latvia ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Latvia has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 20 November 2001, bringing the total number of ratifications to 89. Latvia is the 16th State in the Eastern Europe geographical region to ratify the Treaty. The CTBT bans any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion in any environment. Drafted at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, the Treaty was opened for signature on 24 September 1996 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Under the terms of the Treaty, a global network of 337 monitoring facilities is being established to verify Treaty compliance. International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities record data using four complementary technologies – seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide – and are capable of registering vibrations from a possible nuclear explosion underground, in the seas and in the air, as well as detecting radioactive debris released into the atmosphere. The monitoring facilities transmit the data via satellite to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, where the data are used to detect, locate and characterize events.

These data and IDC products are made available to the States Signatories for final analysis. A Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty concluded in New York last week with the adoption by consensus of a Final Declaration. The Conference reviewed progress and considered measures to accelerate the Treaty ratification process and advance entry into force. For the CTBT to enter into force, a further 13 of the 44 nuclear-capable States listed in the Treaty must ratify it. 

The 89 States that have deposited their instruments of ratification of the CTBT are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Latvia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.

For further information on the CTBTO, please see www.ctbto.org or contact: 
Annika Thunborg
Chief, Public Information   
T    +43 1 26030-6375  
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