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CTBTO SpectrumCTBTO Spectrum CTBTO NEWSLETTER ISSUE 8 | JUNE 2006 Who we are IMS: The pioneering years The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans all nuclear weapon test explosions. It opened In the early days of August 1997, I chaired the fi rst meeting of the initial International for signature in New York on 24 September Monitoring System (IMS) team. Some of our team members were seasoned veterans 1996 and enjoys worldwide support. from the Geneva negotiations, but most of us were completely new to the Treaty and to the world of multilateral diplomacy. Coming from nine countries and very different The CTBTO Preparatory Commission was backgrounds, we faced the daunting task of building the global IMS network of 321 established to carry out the necessary arrangements stations and 16 laboratories within three years. At that time it was thought that the Treaty for the implementation of the Treaty and to could get the number of ratifi cations needed for entry into force within three years, and prepare for the fi rst session of the Conference the monitoring system had to be ready by then. of the State Parties to the Treaty after its entry into force. It consists of all States Signatories Before coming to Vienna, many of us assumed that a complex and challenging and the Provisional Technical Secretariat. project like building the IMS would go through the normal phases of project development such as design, proof of concept, testing and implementation. The instructions from the governing bodies, however, made it very clear that the build up of the monitoring system Inside this issue had to start as rapidly as possible. Consequently, the IMS team initiated the construction of the stations according to the technical specifi cations approved by the Preparatory C OVER STORY: Commission for the CTBTO, while, at the same time, they had to develop many IMS: The pioneering years innovations, such as authentication and certifi cation procedures and incorporate them into by Gerardo Suárez .......................................1 the commercially available equipment in all verifi cation technologies. E DITORIAL ...................................................2 M AP OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA, This build-as-you-design phase was characteristic of the early years. Contrary to T HE PACIFIC AND THE FAR EAST ..............3 the optimism in Geneva, many stations of the 120 auxiliary seismic station network did N OTES AND QUOTES ...................................4 not exist or were abysmally below the technical specifi cations. The majority of those Ratifying the CTBT – a view from Viet Nam already in existence were built by international consortia for scientifi c purposes with the by Ambassador Nguyen Truong Giang .........5 support of local institutions. The IMS team had to forge numerous alliances and establish C OMMISSION UPDATE .................................7 agreements with parent networks before being in a position to upgrade and connect these I N THE SPOTLIGHT: continued on page 6 Hon Phil Goff, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control of New Zealand ...............8 P ERSPECTIVES: Japan’s contribution to the CTBT by Ambassador Yukiya Amano ....................10 V ERIFICATION HIGHLIGHTS .......................12 P OTENTIAL CIVIL AND SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS ..............................................20 V ERIFICATION SCIENCE .............................22 O UTREACH ACTIVITIES .......................24 S ECRETARIAT SNAPSHOTS Scientifi c symposium – CTBT: Synergies with Science, 1996-2006 and Beyond by Ola Dahlman .........................................26 TREATY STATUS ..........................................28 C ALENDAR OF MEETINGS ..........................28 IMS STATIONS IN IDC OPERATIONS AS OF 31 MAY 2006 (184 STATIONS) CTBTO SPECTRUM 8 | WWW.CTBTO.ORG PAGE 1 Editorial 2006 marks the e-training offers a range of possibilities Yukiya Amano of Japan looks at his 10th anniversary for deepening and broadening capacity country’s contribution to the Treaty. The of the opening for building. In this context, the Provisional Ambassador of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen signature of the Technical Secretariat (PTS) is developing Truong Giang, gives his personal view Comprehensive a global e-learning project that will on Viet Nam’s decision to ratify the Nuclear-Test- provide electronic, interactive access to CTBT as the 34th Annex 2 State. Ban Treaty training courses and technical workshops (CTBT). Almost for authorised users. The European The cover article, by Gerardo ten years after Union is supporting this initiative Suárez, Director of the International its conclusion, with more than 1.1 million Euros. Monitoring System (IMS) Division, the CTBT is close to universalization, describes the pioneering years of with 176 States Signatories and 134 The question of capacity building building the IMS network. With over ratifi ers, the latest being Viet Nam. in order to maintain and develop a 50% of the IMS stations certifi ed, Mr Although the Treaty has not yet global Treaty regime is not only crucial Suárez, who will separate from the PTS entered into force, it has proven its for Member States but also for the at the end of July, leaves behind a legacy signifi cance by contributing to the interaction between the worldwide of which he can be very proud. I would establishment of an international scientifi c community, the Commission and like to use this opportunity to express norm against nuclear testing. the States Signatories. For this reason my heartfelt gratitude for his work. and to celebrate the achievements of The build-up of a functioning the Commission, the PTS is organizing Some of the unique challenges verifi cation regime which needs to be in a scientifi c symposium which will be IMS staff members may encounter place when the Treaty enters into force held on 31 August and 1 September in when building new stations can be is progressing in a dynamic manner. Vienna. The symposium will provide best appreciated when reading the A further fi ve facilities were certifi ed a forum for the exchange of ideas ‘Verifi cation Highlights’ article on since the end of last year, bringing the between the verifi cation community establishing infrasound station IS39 total number of certifi ed stations and and the wider scientifi c community in Palau. It shows how demanding the laboratories to 161 and six, respectively. with the aim to increase global work of PTS staff members can be. The growing momentum in station capacity in the fi elds of science and installation and the considerable increase technology related to the activities of in data traffi c over the last two years the Commission. It will also provide – the latter has almost tripled in volume latest information on the multi-faceted from fi ve to 14 gigabytes per day – means benefi ts of verifi cation technologies and that more and more Member States are International Data Centre (IDC) data. receiving verifi cation data and products on a test basis. Currently, approximately Besides providing an outlook on the 700 end users in 90 countries are scientifi c symposium by Ola Dahlman, participating in the provisional former Working Group B Chairman, operation of the verifi cation regime. this issue of CTBTO Spectrum looks Tibor T óth at the many interactions between the Executive Secretary Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive In order to make optimum use of South-East Asia, the Pacifi c and the Far Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization these data, States Signatories are invited East (SEAPFE) region and the CTBT. to participate in the capacity building The PTS is particularly honoured to activities of the CTBTO Preparatory publish an interview with the Minister Commission and its Secretariat with of Disarmament and Arms Control of the aim to fulfi l their verifi cation New Zealand, Hon Phil Goff, focusing, responsibilities under the CTBT and inter alia, on the eminent role of New to fully realize the potential benefi ts Zealand in nuclear disarmament and deriving from the Treaty. In addition non-proliferation. Furthermore, a to the traditional training methods, special feature article by Ambassador PAGE 2 CTBTO SPECTRUM 8 | WWW.CTBTO.ORG South-East Asia, the Pacifi c and the Far East (SEAPFE) IMS facilities as defi ned by the Treaty Status of signatures and ratifi cations Signatory States Ratifying States Non-Signatory States Total SEAPFE States: 32 27 17 5 Annex 2 SEAPFE States: 7 6 4 1 AS OF 17 JULY 2006 CTBTO SPECTRUM 8 | WWW.CTBTO.ORG PAGE 3 Notes & quotes South-East Asia, the Pacifi c and the Facility Agreements with Far East and the CTBT States in the SEAPFE regions Since its inception, the Comprehensive Of these, all except one have signed Under the CTBT, States hosting or other- Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has the Treaty, but only four have ratified wise taking responsibility for facilities enjoyed strong support from States it. The sole nuclear weapon State in of the International Monitoring System of the South-East Asia, the Pacific the region, China, has given positive (IMS) shall conclude international agree- and the Far East region (SEAPFE)1. A signs regarding future ratification. ments and arrangements known as facility State of this region, Fiji, was the first agreements which regulate matters such to deposit its instrument of ratification States from the SEAPFE region as the establishment, upgrading, testing, of the Treaty on 10 October 1996, have frequently been elected to certifi cation and operation and maintenance a little over two weeks after it was representative functions in the CTBTO of monitoring facilities as well as the privi- opened for signature. Since then, Preparatory Commission. Japan (in leges and immunities of the Organization 27 States out of the 32 in the region 2001) and Australia (in 2005) presided and its staff. have signed the Treaty and become over the Conference on Facilitating the members of the CTBTO Preparatory Entry into Force of the CTBT (Article The SEAPFE region comprises 32 Commission. Seventeen SEAPFE XIV Conference) which is convened States, six of which have concluded facility States have ratified it.