Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), opened for signature 24 September 1996, not yet in force. 

Of the (then) 151 States Parties, 113 attended the RevCon. Also in attendance were two signatory States (Haiti and Israel) and two non-States Parties (Libya and Angola). In addition, 5 international organizations (the European Space Agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC], the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research), 22 non-governmental organizations and 6 industry associations were approved to attend the RevCon. 

Measurement of radioxenon for the detection nuclear processes and nuclear material has seen significant activity in the last 10 years largely because of technological developments driven by the need to monitor the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). During that time, several countries have developed technologies for the measurement of radioxenon and some have been commercialized in the case of automated equipment to detect radioxenon from nuclear explosions. 

Convinced that the most effective way to achieve an end to nuclear testing is through the conclusion of a universal and internationally and effectively verifiable comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty, which has long been one of the highest priority objectives of the international community in the field of disarmament and nonproliferation. 

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty consists of a preamble, 17 articles, two annexes and a Protocol. The Protocol describes verification procedures and contains two annexes. One annex lists the 337 facilities comprising the International Monitoring System (IMS) and the other annex describes parameters for standard event screening by the International Data Centre (IDC). 

Article II (The Organization) establishes the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to ensure the Treaty s implementation and provide a forum for consultation and cooperation. With its seat in Vienna, it will comprise three organs. The Conference of the State Parties will oversee the Treaty s implementation and the... 

Table 13.1 contains the designations of countries, places, latitudes and longitudes of those contained in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 September 1996. 

The on-site inspection (OSI) is an integral part of the overall Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) verification regime. The OSI should be conducted with the view of obtaining scientific evidence to clarify whether an ambiguous event is a nuclear explosion. There are a number of phenomena that are associated with nuclear explosions which distinguished these from chemical explosions and/or natural events like earthquakes etc. 

Harris, M. K., Herrington, P. B., Miley, H. S., Ellis, J. E., McKinnon, A. D., and St. Pierre, D. E. 1999. Data authentication demonstration radionuclide stations in 21st Seismic Research Symposium Technologies for Monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, pp. 331-337. Los Alamos, NM Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

Atmospheric radioactivity is monitored globally for the verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), with xenon isotopes Xe, Xe, Xe, and Xe serving as important indicators of nuclear explosions. The interpretation of atmospheric concentrations of radioxenon has been enhanced by quantifying radioxenon emissions released from... 

De Geer, L.-E. (1999). CTBT Relevant Nuclides, CTBTO Technical Report PTS/IDC-1999/02, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, Vienna, Austria. 

W., Whyte, J. and Meyerhof, D. (2004). Low level noble-gas measurements in the field and laboratory in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Appl. Radiat. Isotopes, 61, 231-235. 

Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. http //www.cthto.org. 

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