2018: Ninth Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the CTBT

New York, 27 September 2018

Two days after Thailand’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the signing of the treaty by Tuvalu at the UN headquarters in New York, foreign ministers and other high-level representatives from Member States met at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 27 September 2018 to issue a joint call for the prompt entry into force of the (CTBT).

Click to watch the proceedings of the Ninth Ministerial Meeting

Video Message by the Secretary General of the United Nations

Allow me to reiterate what I have emphasized consistently: The path to the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula runs through the CTBT. Any final agreement with the DPRK must include signature and ratification of the Treaty.

Lassina Zerbo, CTBTO Executive Secretary

Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the CTBTO

The ninth Ministerial Meeting was organized by the Foreign Ministers of the “Friends of the CTBT” – Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, in cooperation with Article XIV co-coordinators Iraq and Belgium.

The Treaty embodies one of the most concrete and practical measures of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, equipped with a robust verification regime.

H.E. Mr Taro Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono opened the meeting followed by a video message from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo addressed the meeting and thanked the Governments of Thailand and Tuvalu for their “support and resolve, which has strengthened global efforts to achieve a nuclear-test-free world”.

North Korea’s accession to the Treaty could create the conditions for a solution of the Korean issue, and represent a decisive step towards the full, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Federica Mogherini High Representative/Vice-President of the European Union

Senator The Hon Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Australia, Co-Chair

H.E. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union / Group of Eminent Persons (GEM)

As current coordinator of the article XIV process, together with Iraq, I have made it my endeavor to not limit our outreach to governments only. I therefore welcome the presence here today of a representative of the CTBT Youth...The younger generation has a stake in a future without nuclear tests, and hopefully one day, a world without nuclear weapons. Indeed, if we cannot ban nuclear tests, how could we ever ban nuclear weapons?

H.E. Didier Reynders Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Belgium

Jaona Andriamampandry, CTBTO Youth Group member

Ninth Friends of the CTBTO Ministerial Meeting Video

CTBT Ministerial Meeting - Thursday, 27 Sept. 2018

	State/Chair	Speaker
1	Welcome and Introduction
	Opening video on the CTBT International Monitoring System (IMS) [VIDEO]
	Japan, Co-Chair [PDF]	H.E. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs
	Executive Secretary of the CTBTO [PDF]	Dr Lassina Zerbo
2	Verification Regime
	Finland [URL]	H.E. Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs
	Canada
	Germany	Ambassador Jürgen Schulz, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations
3	Entry into Force of the Treaty/Universalization
	Iraq	H.E. Dr Ibrahim Aljafari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Article XIV co-coordinator
	The Netherlands [PDF]	H.E. Stef Blok, Minister for Foreign Affairs
	The Kingdom of Thailand	H.E. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
	Belgium [PDF]	H.E. Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, Article XIV co-coordinator
	European Union [PDF]	H.E. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union / Group of Eminent Persons (GEM)
	CTBTO Youth Group [PDF]	Jaona Andriamampandry, CTBTO Youth Group member
4	Adoption of the Joint Statement and closing statement
	Australia [PDF]	Senator The Hon Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Australia, Co-Chair