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BERLIN| VIENNA (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization ( CTBTO) Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo have welcomed the announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to halt its nuclear testing programme and to dismantle the test site.
The announcement came six days ahead of the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un’s meeting with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea (South Korea/ROK) taking place on April 27. After the inter-Korean summit, Kim is expected to meet with U. S. President Donald Trump in June 2018.
A statement released by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on April 21 said: « This positive step forward contributes to building trust and the longer process leading to the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. » Guterres reiterated the commitment and support of the United Nations system in this endeavour.
« This is a strong signal and an important step in the right direction, » said Zerbo who heads the Preparatory Commission for the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty ( CTBT), which is in limbo for nearly 22 years. Eight Annex 2 countries must sign and ratify before the CTBT can enter into force.
While China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have already signed the Treaty, India, North Korea and Pakistan have not signed it.
Against this backdrop, Zerbo called on the DPRK to follow up on halting nuclear tests and consider signing and ratifying the CTBT along with the other remaining Annex 2 countries.
« A legally binding in force CTBT is the only way to solidify the moratorium on nuclear testing and an essential step towards the ultimate goal: a world free from nuclear weapons, » Zerbo emphasized, adding: « The CTBTO stands ready to assist in whatever way we can. »
Going by what the CTBTO chief has told IDN in previous interviews, he would be willing to travel to the DPRK capital Pyongyang any time desired.
The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions. A verification regime is being built to monitor compliance with the Treaty. Nearly 90 percent of the 337 facilities of the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) are already in place.
The system swiftly, reliably and precisely detected all six DPRK declared nuclear tests since 2006. After the DPRK announced nuclear test on February 12,2013, the CTBTO was the only organization to detect radioactivity attributable to the event.
In the five decades between 1945 and 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out all over the world. Since the CTBT was opened for signature in September 1996,10 nuclear tests have been conducted: two by India in 1998, in addition to one so-called peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974, and two by Pakistan in 1998. The DPRK conducted nuclear tests in 2006,2009,2013 and 2016.
The question being asked is why Kim should « give up so much in advance instead of hanging on to a nuclear test-ban and an ICBM moratorium as aces up his sleeve to give up » when he meets President Trump.
