Non Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty - CTBT
Australia was active in negotiation of the CTBT in the Conference on Disarmament (CD) from 1994 to 1996. When adoption of the Treaty was blocked in the CD, it was taken to the United Nations in New York where it was adopted by an overwhelming majority. Australia signed the CTBT on 24 September 1996 and ratified the Treaty on 9 July 1998.
In September 2003 the Article XIV Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT in Vienna stressed the importance of a universal and effectively verifiable comprehensive Treaty as a major instrument in all aspects of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In September 2006, a Ministerial meeting in support of the CTBT in New York marked the tenth anniversary of opening for signature of the CTBT. Ministers issued a Joint Ministerial Statement (pdf) reaffirming the importance of the CTBT to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and the urgency for its entry into force.
Australia served as coordinator of international efforts to promote entry into force of the CTBT from September 2005 to July 2007.
The Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) is Australia's National Authority for implementation of the CTBT, and coordinates Australia's contribution to the development of its verification system. Australia will host the third largest number of monitoring facilities for the CTBT of any state. Seventeen of these 21 facilities are already operational.