TOKYO (Kyodo) — An international nuclear test ban treaty has established a “robust norm” against such activities, despite not having entered into force since it opened for signature nearly three decades ago, the head of the body overseeing it said Tuesday.
Robert Floyd, head of the preparatory commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, said Russia continues to provide data under an international monitoring system for detecting nuclear explosions, despite withdrawing its ratification of the treaty in 2023.
During a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, the Australian scientist called Russia’s de-ratification “disappointing and deeply regrettable,” saying it marked a step away from universal support for the treaty.
Floyd is visiting Japan to attend this week’s ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with Japan hoping his presence will help build momentum toward the early entry into force of the CTBT.
He said the annual peace ceremonies are “poignant reminders of the devastating legacy of nuclear weapons and the importance to stop” the tests that allow such arms to be developed.
He also noted that 187 countries have signed the treaty, which bans all types of nuclear explosive tests, and 178 have ratified it, saying this demonstrates “the global desire to end this threat to humanity once and for all.”
“It has created a robust norm against nuclear testing,” he said.
For the CTBT to take effect, it must be signed and ratified by 44 states identified as holders of nuclear technology. Nine of them, including China, North Korea, the United States and Russia, have yet to sign or ratify it.
Floyd said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told him during a recent meeting that Moscow, which is a signatory, remains “committed to this treaty.”
Russia signed into national law the revocation of its ratification of the CTBT amid increasing tension between the United States following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
At that time, the Kremlin said in a statement that the move was “a response measure to the United States, which has been reluctant to take steps to ratify the CTBT for years, and which has shown no sign of intent to ratify it in the foreseeable future.”
