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19 CTBTO SpectruM ctbto Magazine issue 19 | September 2012
Vision of a world without nuclear weapons
Former Former Director Chile’s Finland’s UN Under-Secretary-General OF Los AlAmos Foreign Minister Foreign Minister for Disarmament Affairs National Laboratory Alfredo Erkki Jayantha Siegfried Moreno Tuomioja Dhanapala hecker
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions.
It opened for signature on 24 September 1996 in New York.
As of September 2012, 183 countries had signed the Treaty and 157 had ratified it. Of the 44 nuclear capable States which must ratify the CTBT for it to enter into force, the so-called Annex 2 countries, 36 have done so to date while eight have yet to ratify: China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States. On February 6 2012, Indonesia completed its ratification of the CTBT.
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) consists of the States Signatories and the Provisional Technical Secretariat. The main tasks of the CTBTO are to promote signatures and ratifications and to establish a global verification regime capable of detecting nuclear explosions underground, underwater and in the atmosphere.
The regime must be operational when the Treaty enters into force. It will consist of 337 monitoring facilities supported by an International Data Centre and on-site inspection measures. As of 3 September 2012 over 80 percent of the facilities at the International Monitoring System (IMS) were operational.
Cover image: Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev at the Reykjavik summit in 1986. Photo Courtesy of David & Peter Turnley/Corbis
Cover Design: Krzysztof Kolasinski Table of Contents
Editorial 2 CTBTO's Executve Secretary Tibor Tóth
Treaty Status 3 CTBT signatures and ratifications (as of 3 September 2012)
VOICES 4 The CTBT and its data: A powerful instrument for peace and human security by Alfredo Moreno, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile
7 Dual dividends: The CTBT strengthens global security architecture and benefits the whole world by Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland
10 Defusing the nuclear powder keg: How Asian nations can lead by example by Jayantha Dhanapala, Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs
12 Nuclear testing times: In India, membership of the CTBT is not on the agenda. But perhaps it's time to reconsider by Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Foreign Editor, Hindustan Times
16 Disarmament and non-proliferation education: Recent developments and the way forward by Elena K. Sokova, Executive Director, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
19 A winning gambit: Nuclear armed States stand to gain more than they lose from CTBT ratification by Siegfried S. Hecker, Former Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Civil and scientific Applic ations 24 The Fukushima nuclear accident: Lessons learned and possible implications by Tatsujiro Suzuki, Vice Chairman, Japan Atomic Energy Commission
VERIFICATION SCIENCE 28 Helping to make the world a safer place A crucial link in a global network of monitoring stations: primary seismic station PS31 by Ik Bum Kang, Principal Researcher, Korea Institute of GeoScience and Mineral Resources
StatION Status 33 Certified International Monitoring System facilities (as of 3 September 2012)
34 Practice makes perfect: Getting ready for the next full inspection simulation by Kirsten Haupt, former CTBTO Staff Member
Making Waves: Guest writers share their personal views on nuclear-rela ted topics 38 A grim, unwanted legacy by Angela Leuker, CTBTO Public Information writer and multimedia producer
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Editorial Tibor TÓth Executive Secretary
Organization (CTBTO) have been sharing next full-scale on-site simulation in Jordan their data with tsunami warning centres in 2014. She provides readers with an around the world since 2005. impression of the vast technical and logistical challenges involved. Chile’s Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno describes in his article the Non-proliferation training and important role of the IMS when the education activities also play a pivotal role magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile on in promoting the Treaty and its verification 27 February 2010, claiming many lives. regime. In this respect, the CTBTO About 20 IMS seismic stations sent their launched the Capacity Development data within less than one minute to the Initiative (CDI) in 2011 to train the next CTBTO in Vienna, where they were generation of experts in all legal, political, forwarded immediately to tsunami warning technical and scientific aspects of the CTBT centres in the Pacific Ocean. One of the and its verification regime. Elena Sokova This year on 27 September, foreign stations that contributed to this early of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and ministers will once again gather at the warning effort, hydroacoustic station HA03 Non-Proliferation concludes that the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Juan Fernandez Island, around 600 availability of dedicated disarmament and to promote the entry into force of the kilometres off the Chilean coast, was itself non-proliferation programmes and courses Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty subsequently destroyed by the tsunami falls short of demand and should be more (CTBT). Participants will make a wave and is currently being rebuilt. comprehensive, sustainable, and global. commitment at the highest political level The CDI is therefore a timely and welcome regarding the urgency of securing this Tatsujiro Suzuki of the Japan Atomic development in this field, she explains. objective. The meeting will result in a Joint Energy Commission highlights the Ministerial Statement appealing to all significance of another application of CTBT The cessation of all nuclear tests would States to make the utmost effort to data: monitoring the spread of radioactive be a monumental step towards the establish a legally-binding, comprehensive particles and noble gases around the globe, elimination of nuclear weapons, a goal prohibition on all nuclear explosions. as was the case after the Fukushima which US President Ronald Reagan and nuclear accident. The Foreign Editor of Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev One of the conveners of the meeting, Hindustan Times, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, came close to achieving at the 1986 summit Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, also refers to the use of CTBT verification in Reykjavik, Iceland. More than 25 years argues in this issue of Spectrum that the data for disaster mitigation, which, in his later, the meeting’s potential to CTBT’s entry into force will considerably opinion, is an added incentive for India to fundamentally change the course of history strengthen the global security architecture join the Treaty. continues to ignite the imagination. In order and benefit the whole world. Nuclear to stimulate debate on the lessons learned, scientist Siegfried S. Hecker comes to a The raison d’être of the IMS is, of opportunities missed and what is needed similar conclusion, maintaining that nuclear course, to detect nuclear explosions, but today to move forward with nuclear possessor States stand to gain more than nuclear testing will only be outlawed once disarmament, the CTBTO is organizing a they lose from CTBT ratification. And former the CTBT has entered into force. Ik Bum reading of the play ‘Reykjavik’ by Pulitzer UN Under-Secretary-General for Kang, the former Project Manager of Prize winner Richard Rhodes on 27 Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, primary seismic station PS31 in the September 2012 in New York. The reading urges more countries to follow the example Republic of Korea, describes the role the will be followed by a panel discussion of Indonesia and ratify the Treaty, showing station played when North Korea entitled ’25 years since Reykjavik – will we how Asian nations can lead by example. conducted its first nuclear test on 9 get it right in the next 25?’ Gorbachev will October 2006. North Korea is one of eight deliver a video message to open the By banning all nuclear explosions, the countries that must sign and/or ratify the discussion, which will feature key players Treaty’s political benefits are evident. Less Treaty before it can enter into force. from the 1986 summit. Progress towards the obvious is the contribution of CTBT CTBT’s entry into force over the coming monitoring data to disaster mitigation, such While preparing for this, the CTBTO years will be a sure indicator of whether the as tsunami warnings. State-of-the art is carrying out a number of on-site lessons learned from the Reykjavik summit facilities making up the International inspection exercises and field experiments. have been heeded. Monitoring System (IMS) of the In her article, former CTBTO staff member Preparatory Commission for the Kirsten Haupt takes an in-depth look at Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty some of the exercises leading up to the
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Status of Signatures and Ratifications As of 3 September 2012
ICELAND FINLAND RUSSIAN FEDERATION NORWAY SWEDEN ESTONIA CANADA
UNITED KINGDOM NETHERLANDS POLAND UKRAINE GERMANY CZECH REPUBLIC REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA HUNGARY KAZAKHSTAN AUSTRIA FRANCE ROMANIA MONGOLIA ITALY BULGARIA GEORGIA UZBEKISTAN KYRGYZSTAN DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE`S REPUBLIC OF KOREA PORTUGAL SPAIN AZERBAIJAN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TURKMENISTAN TURKEY ARMENIA TAJIKISTAN GREECE REPUBLIC JAPAN OF KOREA CYPRUS SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC CHINA TUNISIA LEBANON AFGHANISTAN MOROCCO ISRAEL IRAQ ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN JORDAN ALGERIA LIBYAN KUWAIT PAKISTAN ARAB NEPAL JAMAHIRIYA EGYPT BAHRAIN BHUTAN QATAR BANGLADESH BAHAMAS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SAUDI ARABIA INDIA MYANMAR MEXICO CUBA LAO PEOPLE'S DOMINICAN MAURITANIA OMAN REPUBLIC DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC JAMAICAHAITI ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA MALI BELIZE SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS CAPE VERDE NIGER DOMINICA HONDURAS CHAD ERITREA YEMEN THAILAND SAINT LUCIA SENEGAL GUATEMALA SAINT VINCENT AND SUDAN VIET NAM PHILIPPINES GAMBIA EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA THE GRENADINES BARBADOS BURKINA FASO GUINEA-BISSAU DJIBOUTI CAMBODIA GRENADA GUINEA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO BENIN NIGERIA COSTA RICA SIERRA LEONE ETHIOPIA PANAMA BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC TOGO CENTRAL PALAU FEDERATED STATES OF VENEZUELA CÔTE D'IVOIRE AFRICAN SRI LANKA OF MICRONESIA MARSHALL ISLANDS REPUBLIC GUYANA GHANA CAMEROON BRUNEI DARUSSALAM COLOMBIA LIBERIA SURINAME MALAYSIA SOMALIA SINGAPORE KIRIBATI EQUATORIAL GUINEA DEMOCRATIC UGANDA SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE REPUBLIC KENYA ECUADOR GABON CONGO OF THE MALDIVES INDONESIA NAURU CONGO RWANDA BURUNDI SEYCHELLES UNITED REPUBLIC PAPUA NEW GUINEA OF TANZANIA BRAZIL TUVALU TIMOR-LESTE SOLOMON ISLANDS PERU ANGOLA COMOROS SAMOA MALAWI ZAMBIA VANUATU BOLIVIA MOZAMBIQUE MADAGASCAR FIJI NIUE ZIMBABWE MAURITIUS TONGA COOK ISLANDS NAMIBIA BOTSWANA PARAGUAY AUSTRALIA SWAZILAND
LESOTHO CHILE SOUTH AFRICA URUGUAY ARGENTINA
Signatory States Ratifying States Non-Signatory States NEW ZEALAND Total States: 195 183 157 13 ● Annex 2 States: 44 41 36 3 FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON SIGNATURE AND RATIFICATION VISIT WWW.CTBTO.ORG/MAP
CTBTO Faces
CTBTO Faces is a Watch our video interviews at: newly-launched online ctbto.org/faces collection of interviews with people whose ideas, lives and work help define global nuclear affairs.
Each week, a new in- depth interview is added to the series, building a unique archive of opinions and insights.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 voices The CTBT and its data
A powerful instrument for peace and human security
By Alfredo Moreno Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs
Verification data provided by the CTBTO their rejection of atomic weapons and The CTBT: one step closer contributes to disaster prevention and their means of delivery. to universalization mitigation and therefore serves as a useful diplomatic opportunity to convince States to 1996 was a momentous year 2011 proved to be a good year for the sign and ratify the Treaty, writes Chile's Foreign for Chilean multilateral diplomacy: CTBT: in Indonesia – an Annex 2 State Minister Alfredo Moreno, who also emphasizes our country became a member of the with global stature – the country's the data’s potential and encourages more civil Conference on Disarmament within parliament approved ratification of institutions around the globe to take advantage. a group of 23 States (the so-called the Treaty in December, subsequently G-23) coordinated by Ambassador depositing the instrument of ratification On 24 September 2012, the Jorge Berguño, the Permanent with the United Nations Secretary-General international community will Representative of Chile in Geneva. on 6 February 2012. This lowered to eight commemorate 16 years of the opening This move signalled an unswerving the number of ratifications needed for its for signature of the Comprehensive commitment to nuclear disarmament entry into force. In our region, 2012 began Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The expressed ever since at every auspiciously when Guatemala ratified the Treaty, perceived as a crucial milestone multilateral, regional and sub-regional Treaty on 12 January, bringing the CTBT in the process leading to the abolition forum and through active participation a step closer to universalization. These of nuclear weapons and – in the in like-minded groups, including the significant sovereign decisions increased meanwhile – a substantive confidence- De-Alerting Coalition and the Nuclear the pressure on key States to exercise their building measure, was warmly Non-Proliferation and Disarmament leadership and accelerate their ratifications. received in Latin America and the Initiative (NPDI), created in 2010 by Caribbean, the first densely populated Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, The CTBT provides the legal region to collectively embrace the Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, framework for a prohibition well vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world Poland, Turkey and the United Arab grounded in the collective conscience of through the Tlatelolco Treaty. Our Emirates, to work for a thorough humankind: nuclear testing has become a countries were vocal opponents of the implementation of the 2010 Nuclear policy option truly deprived of legitimacy nuclear tests conducted in the South Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review and as such it finds no place in the Pacific and have remained steadfast in Conference's Plan of Action. conduct of States in the 21st Century.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Furthermore, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban »The CTBT provides the legal framework for Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has efficiently a prohibition well grounded in the collective put in place most of the verification mechanisms provided for by the Treaty: conscience of humankind: nuclear testing the International Monitoring System (IMS) has become a policy option truly deprived and the International Data Centre (IDC) of legitimacy and as such it finds no place in are concrete realities, already delivering their products, as was confirmed in 2006 the conduct of States in the 21st Century. « and 2009 on the occasion of the infamous nuclear tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). On-site Fernández archipelago – were wiped Japanese authorities confirmed that on inspections are also key to the future away by the tsunami ensuing the 8.8 11 March 2011, real-time data provided verification system. In this regard we are Richter scale earthquake which struck our by CTBT stations triggered public alerts satisfied to see that work is well underway country in the small hours of 27 February within minutes of the magnitude 9.0 for organizing the next Integrated Field 2010 (the eighth strongest earthquake earthquake, allowing many people to Exercise to be held in late 2014 in Jordan, in the history of the Richter scale). But reach safety on higher ground. In the which will allow an international team another 20 seismic and hydroacoustic following weeks, the IMS was able of inspectors monitored by observers to stations from the monitoring network to track the dispersion of radioactive conduct a complete on-site inspection. provided crucial data, shared immediately substances, enhancing a preventive with tsunami warning centres in the response and providing expert advice to CTBTO data for disaster Pacific. Work on the reconstruction of relevant organizations concerned with mitigation both stations at Robinson Crusoe Island is disaster prevention and mitigation. progressing smoothly with close support Chile contributes to the verification system from the Chilean Government and the Both tragedies confirmed the human with seven IMS stations watching over local community. security potential of the verification array a vast pelagic space in the south eastern created by the Treaty, which – while quadrant of the Pacific Ocean. These stations The cataclysmic tsunami not its raison d'être – reaffirms the comprise all the technologies available to precipitating the crisis at the Fukushima usefulness of an otherwise considerable the IMS: seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic Daichii nuclear power plant provided investment from the CTBTO Member and radionuclide. Two of them – located yet more proof of the crucial IMS States. This humanitarian complement on Robinson Crusoe Island in the Juan contribution to human security: was underlined by the foreign ministers
Damage caused by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile on 27 February 2010.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Installing the underwater cable of hydroacoustic station HA03, Juan Fernandez Island, Chile, showing the aftermath of the February 2010 Juan Fernandez Island, Chile, in 2003. tsunami. The IMS hydroacoustic station HA03 was destroyed by the tsunami.
of the NPDI in our statement at the joined the voices advocating for increased States are entitled to benefit from the General Assembly's High Level Segment, emergency cooperation between the IAEA information gathered by the IDC but the last September: and the CTBTO, and providing expert responsibility over its national use rests advice to relevant organizations concerned upon their shoulders. CTBTO data could "We reiterate our commitment to with disaster prevention and mitigation. reach many more universities, investigation universalizing the CTBT and promoting We stand ready to keep working with laboratories, observatories and emergency- its early entry-into-force. While other Member States at both organizations response organizations than today – even striving towards this goal, we recognize to adopt mandates underpinning an in my own country. Accordingly, we have the security and civil benefits of the efficient humanitarian response. a global and domestic task to promote the CTBT verification system, including profitable use of our own products. the International Monitoring System. A globalized world needs globalized Members of the NPDI will continue to mindsets. International organizations We look with optimism at utilize diplomatic opportunities to urge are tools for a collective response the potential of the CTBTO and its states that have not done so to sign and to interlinked global needs: thus we verification regime and we were honoured ratify the Treaty." conceive them as global public goods to contribute to the success of the interwoven both in nature and vocation. organization from January to June 2012 The 2005 United Nations summit Old-fashioned compartmentalization when Ambassador Alfredo Labbé Villa of established that "peace and security, will not do in times of scarcity but Chile served as Chairman of the executive development and human rights are the ever mounting challenges. Data are the body of the CTBTO, the PrepCom. pillars of the United Nations system and lifeblood of the information society and the foundations for collective security the data gathered by the CTBTO ought Biographical note and well being. "At the same time, it to be treated as a global contribution recognized that "development, peace and with benefits unforeseen in 1996. For Alfredo Moreno security and human rights are interlinked instance, to have a better understanding is Minister of Foreign Affairs of and mutually reinforcing1." This imperative of a planet that, as those sitting near Chile. He is a member of G-50, a of interdependence should preside over the Pacific Belt of Fire know rather well, group of 50 Latin American leaders every multilateral endeavour and certainly refuses to stay quiet. selected by Foreign Policy, one of the world's leading publications on all that we do in Vienna. Thus the Chilean international relations in the US. Delegation participating in the preparatory Promoting the use of Minister Moreno is also a member of process of the International Atomic Energy monitoring datA the International Cabinet of the Dom Agency's (IAEA) Ministerial Conference Cabral Foundation in Brazil, as well on Nuclear Safety convened last June The civil and scientific applications of as of the Global Advisory Board at the University of the Chicago Booth this monitoring system are of particular ______School of Business. [1] Resolution A/60/1, paragraph 9. interest for developing countries. Member
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 voices Dual dividends The CTBT strengthens global security architecture and benefits the whole world
by ERKKI TUOMIOJ A, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FINLAND
As one of the organizers of the CTBT Ministerial Meeting in New York on 27 September, Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja states that while the current voluntary moratorium on nuclear weapon tests is important, it cannot be a substitute for a global ban. In addition, he points out the significant role of the CTBTO not only in detecting nuclear explosions but also in contributing to human welfare.
Finland is a faithful supporter of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). My country signed the Treaty constructing a verification system that will on the very same day it was opened for be fully operational by the time the Treaty »The verification signature in 1996 and ratified it in early enters into force. That work is proceeding system's usefulness 1999. Because it has nuclear energy power well. During the time that the verification plants, Finland is one of the 44 Annex 2 system has been developed it has become extends way beyond States whose ratification is needed before evident that its usefulness extends way the Treaty can enter into force. beyond its original purpose of monitoring its original purpose of compliance with the CTBT. monitoring compliance The CTBT is frequently quoted as a core element of the worldwide nuclear Through its network of 337 with the CTBT.« disarmament and non-proliferation monitoring facilities – the International regime. I fully agree. It is in our common Monitoring System (IMS) – the Preparatory organizations like the International interests that no new nuclear weapons Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear- Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World are developed and no new nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has Meteorological Organization (WMO) and weapons States emerge. The verification also proven its potential, effectiveness and the World Health Organization (WHO). We regime embedded in the Treaty is an usefulness with regard to civil and scientific witnessed during last year's Fukushima important tool to make sure that the ban applications. The IMS provides accurate catastrophe that the CTBTO data could help is respected. By signing and ratifying the information not only to countries around Japan and other countries in the region Treaty we have committed ourselves to the world but also to many international to issue tsunami warnings within a few
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Model of the inside of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the disaster. The lid of the reactor (metal, center) was blown off. Photo from Chernobyl Museum, Kiev, Ukraine. Some CTBTO monitoring stations continue to detect radionuclides from the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.
minutes time, allowing many people to escape My country plays an active role in Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons to higher ground. I am convinced that the promoting the universalization of the CTBT. and all other weapons of mass destruction. added value of the IMS data for natural and Together with other 'Friends of the CTBT' man-made disaster prevention and mitigation we have offered our strongest political and The current voluntary moratorium will continue to increase in the future. practical support to the CTBT and its entry on nuclear weapon tests is of great Through the CTBT we can promote the wealth into force. As I stated at the Conference on importance, but I wish to underline that of our planet and we can contribute in many Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT it cannot be a substitute for a global ways to human welfare. in New York last September, it is time to ban. It is time to close the door on act now: Finland calls upon all States that nuclear weapon tests. The CTBT's entry Ensuring nuclear have not yet signed and ratified the CTBT into force will considerably strengthen safety and security to do so without further delay. I warmly the world's security architecture and congratulate Indonesia, which ratified benefit the whole world. To quote the UN Since May 2000, Finland has hosted the CTBT on 6 December1, on the Finnish Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon: "Even two IMS facilities: a station in Lahti and Independence Day. Indonesia is a good before entering into force, the CTBT is a radionuclide laboratory in Helsinki. example for the eight remaining Annex saving lives." Let's save more lives! Let's Finland was the 11th Member State to 2 States to follow suit and ratify without do it – now, in 2012! sign a facility agreement with the CTBTO. further delay. The cooperation between the facilities and the CTBTO is excellent. Continuing efforts to close Biographical note the door on nuclear testing Erkki Tuomioja Nuclear safety and security are of is the Finnish Minister for Foreign utmost importance to my country. The We should keep in mind the successful Affairs. Prior to his appointment in June 2011, he was Chairman of the safety of Finland's nuclear power plants is outcome of the 2010 Review Conference Grand Committee for EU Affairs strictly regulated by STUK, the independent of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty from 2007 to 2011, Minister for Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (NPT), and continue making efforts Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2007 of Finland. However, the accidents in in nuclear disarmament. Finland has and Minister of Trade and Industry Chernobyl and Fukushima have proven that accepted the challenge of acting as both from 1999 to 2000. Minister Tuomioja served as Vice-Chairman there are no borders in nuclear catastrophes. the facilitator and host of a conference in and then Chairman of the Social Accidents can take place unexpectedly December 2012 on the establishment of a Democratic Party Parliamentary anywhere. Therefore, the CTBTO's Group between 1991 and 1999 and monitoring system is of great importance ______as Deputy Mayor of Helsinki from in detecting the dispersion of radioactive [1] The ratification process was completed 1979 to 1991. He has been a when Indonesia deposited the instrument of Member of Parliament since 1970. materials and delivering early warnings. ratification with the UNSG on 6 February 2012.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 voices Defusing the nuclear powder keg How Asian nations can lead by example
By Jayantha DhanapalA Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs
Former UN Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala praises Indonesia’s ratification of the CTBT and argues that each additional ratification sends a clear political message to the remaining hold-out States.
If our cricket-crazy South Asian subcontinent knows the Sri Lankan hill-country town of Pallekelle — in the suburbs of my hometown of Kandy — for anything, it is for the Pallekelle nuclear blast. Radionuclide stations sniff »Opposing the CTBT International Cricket Stadium where the air for radioactivity — the 'smoking some of the 2011 World Cup Cricket gun' of any nuclear test. Thanks to the because it fails to deliver matches were played. most elaborate verification system in complete disarmament is the history of arms control, of which However, Pallekelle is also home 290 facilities are now operational, tantamount to opposing to another, more inconspicuous but no the international community can rest speed limits on roads less important complex: a monitoring assured that all nuclear tests of military because they fail to prevent station to detect nuclear explosions. significance will be detected, as indicated It is a part of an unprecedented global in the March 2012 National Academy of accidents completely.« alarm system built by the Vienna- Sciences report on The Comprehensive based Preparatory Commission for Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): Technical the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Issues for the United States. The system long way in establishing its formidable Treaty Organization (CTBTO). has already proved its effectiveness by verification system, the CTBT has yet detecting the North Korean tests in 2006 to become global law. This is one of Sensors across the world and 2009, despite their low yield and the the main reasons why, in my presence fact that considerably fewer monitoring on January 10 in Washington D.C. Monitoring technologies have evolved far stations were operational then. this year, the Bulletin of Atomic beyond what was envisaged at the time Scientists decided to adjust the hands of the system's conception in the 1990s. The ‘Doomsday Clock' - one of its 'Doomsday Clock' — a symbolic When complete, over 300 state-of-the-art minute closer to midnight measure which counts down to nuclear sensors in every corner of the world will Armageddon — one minute closer to listen to the atmosphere, the oceans and Although the CTBTO is celebrating its midnight: it is now set at 11:55, five underground for shock waves from a 15th birthday this year and has come a minutes before global disaster.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists stands at just five minutes to global disaster. Photo courtesy of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (10 January 2012)
Veteran Nepalese diplomat Hira B. In February 2012, Indonesia decided to All these countries are parties to Thapa recently wrote about the looming leave this group and join the 156 countries the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as danger of nuclear warfare in South Asia that had already ratified the CTBT, while non-nuclear weapon States and active for his country. I share the same fears for the Obama Administration has pledged to members of the Non-Aligned Movement Sri Lanka. The detonation, accidental or resubmit the Treaty to the US Senate for (NAM). For NAM, nuclear disarmament has planned, of even a single nuclear weapon in advice and consent. been a core value since its inception in 1961. this part of the world, would be catastrophic Over the decades it has pushed incessantly, for the region. A nuclear exchange Since its inception in 1996, the and vigorously, for a global ban on nuclear between India and Pakistan would cause CTBT's zero-testing norm is the expression weapons and nuclear tests alike and has a global nuclear winter leading to years of a zero-tolerance stance against nuclear supported the CTBT. of widespread famine, as Professors Alan testing, treated nowadays as a reckless Robock from Rutgers University and Owen and atavistic display of nuclear weapon Ratifying the CTBT is not only a matter Brian Toon from the University of Colorado, possession. It is my hope that other of principle. It is not only about supporting United States, have predicted. Nuclear war countries in the wider Asian region will world peace and the environment. It is in in South Asia can be triggered by States or follow Indonesia's shining example. our security interests. Indonesia has shown non-State actors, by accident or design – as the way — now it is up to other countries to long as nuclear weapons exist in the region. On peace and the environment follow suit. Each additional ratification sends a clear political signal to the remaining hold-out Hampering qualitative The non-nuclear weapon States in States. The saga for the banning of all nuclear improvements of our region could make a difference by tests began in 1954 with a great visionary nuclear weapons leading through example: among the leader from Asia — Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It Association of South East Asian Nations would be a tragic irony for Asian nations to be A crude Hiroshima-bomb type weapon (ASEAN), only Brunei, Myanmar an obstacle now when that goal is within sight. can be developed without testing, yet the and Thailand have yet to ratify the development of more advanced nuclear CTBT. The ASEAN countries are also Biographical note weapons continues to rely on testing. members of the South-East Asia Jayantha Dhanapala Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone (Treaty of is a former United Nations Under- The CTBT was never meant to Bangkok), which itself prohibits nuclear Secretary-General for Disarmament be a cure-all. It addresses one, albeit tests. Full regional membership of the Affairs (1998-2003) and a former crucial aspect: hampering qualitative Treaty of Bangkok and the CTBT are Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the USA (1995-7) and to the UN Office in improvements of nuclear weapons. It important steps in establishing South- Geneva (1984-87). He is currently the could make a difference – whether a East Asia as a nuclear weapon-free 11th President of the Nobel Peace 'simple' nuclear weapon is at stake or a bastion of stability. In the wider region, Prize-winning Pugwash Conferences thermonuclear weapon with apocalyptic the only countries that have yet to on Science and World Affairs, Deputy destructive power. ratify the CTBT are Papua New Guinea, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Timor-Leste, Nepal, and my own Research Institute (SIPRI), and a Only eight specific ratifications are country, Sri Lanka. Taking this decisive member of several other advisory missing for the CTBT to enter into force: step would put the nuclear weapon boards of international bodies. the United States, China, Iran, India, possessors and the remaining eight An earlier version of this article was Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, and North Korea. CTBT hold-outs in the spotlight. published in The Hindu on 4 April 2012.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 voices Nuclear testing times In India, membership of the CTBT is not on the agenda. But perhaps it's time to reconsider.
by Pramit Pal Chaudhuri Foreign Editor of Hindustan Times
explosive. The answer is, largely, "Yes." The CTBTO today has an impressive network of international monitoring stations in a range of locations from the Arctic to the Antarctica, on mountaintops and deserts and even the ocean bed. Of the 337 facilities envisaged under the Treaty, over 80 percent are already fully operational and transmitting data to the CTBTO. Foreign editor of Hindustan Times, Pramit Organization (CTBTO). This invitation These stations are of four varieties: Pal Chaudhuri, states that when New Delhi possibly arose because no Indian official seismic, hydroacoustic, radionuclide and declared Pokhran II a complete success, this was willing to attend. New Delhi has put infrasound. I visited an example of the in effect indicated that India does not need so much space between itself and the third variety on the roof of the CTBTO's to conduct more tests. In this case, India’s CTBT that it even declines from sending headquarters in Vienna, complete with current moratorium could be extended observers to CTBTO functions. Other its pure germanium detector and giant indefinitely and transmuted into a CTBT non-parties did attend, however, as rooftop air-sampling vacuum cleaner. signature-cum-ratification. diplomats from China and Pakistan were present at the conference. There are some types of tiny The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban nuclear tests, in the range of one-tenth Treaty, an international agreement that Preventing the of a tonne of TNT equivalent and less, would bind all nations to never again development of new that this network would struggle to carry out a nuclear test, has passed from nuclear weapons detect. However, there are some who the lexicon of India's foreign policy believe that such tests could help finesse debate – even though it used to be one of It was a useful refresher on where the existing weapons systems, but would the most frequent disparagements in New CTBT stands today. My conclusion, be useless in the development of new Delhi's strategic circles. reinforced by the conference and the ones. The CTBT is designed to constrain anniversary celebrations, was that the both the development and qualitative In February this year, I attended Treaty is in remarkably good stead. It is improvement of nuclear weapons. a conference in Vienna, Austria, on The also in a much better position to respond to Comprehensive Nuclear -Test-Ban Treaty a number of the criticisms that have been The other issue is whether the (CTBT) at 15: Status and Prospects as levied against the agreement in the past. Treaty is ever likely to get the approval well as the anniversary celebrations of of the main nuclear powers. The answer: the Preparatory Commission for the One is the issue of whether the it all depends on the United States' Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty CTBTO can actually detect a nuclear presidential elections in November.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 From left to right: Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh; former Prime Minister of India, Atul Bihari Vajpayee; and K. Santhanam, formerly of the Defence Research Development Organisation. They have all participated in the debate on nuclear testing in India. According to Chaudhuri: "What is noteworthy is that the two most marginal groups, the ultranationalists and the left, are the only schools strictly opposed to signing the CTBT under any circumstances."
The nuclear non- and his successor, Manmohan Singh, to the situation regarding India's stand on proliferation domino effect consider putting pen to dotted line, they the CTBT will "change" after the US and have been put off by strong political and China have led the way. It all depends on As the conference made amply clear, until intellectual opposition that has been able to whether India actually needs to carry out the US ratifies the CTBT, China will not do recast adherence to a test ban as a "loss of more nuclear tests. so. And if neither of them ratifies, then sovereignty" issue – or worse. India won't either. If India is on board, so Opinion is divided, but a 2009 is Pakistan. Israel, one of the quiet nuclear India's four schools debate on this issue was triggered by weapons possessing States, would probably of foreign policy K. Santhanam, the former number two go in once the US does. This is the nuclear at the Defence Research Development non-proliferation domino effect. Using the formulations of Dr Kanti Bajpai, Organisation, who claimed that the and its reformulation in Dr Henry Nau's Pokhran II nuclear tests had failed and that, This chain reaction of ratifications soon to be released study on the foreign in particular, India did not have a credible and signatures is expected to follow a policies of emerging powers, it can be said hydrogen bomb capacity. In the resulting US action. In India's case the two acts there are four schools of foreign policy furore, the government released more are merged into one as adherence to in India. Of these, the ultranationalists information about the tests and made a an international treaty is an executive want more nuclear tests and remain wary strong case for the tests having succeeded. privilege, not requiring legislative of accepting any non-proliferation treaty sanction. This fact I realized in Vienna obligations; the cautious pragmatists say In its defence, New Delhi had the is not widely understood even among ratify the Treaty after the United States and then Chairman of the Atomic Energy many non-proliferation advocates, China; the left wing favour global zero – Commission, Dr Anil Kakodkar, publicly resulting in the criticism that New Delhi worldwide nuclear disarmament – and say say in September 2009: "We want to has 'not even' signed the CTBT unlike, the CTBT merely reinforces the monopoly re-emphasise that the 1998 tests were say, the United States and China. of existing powers; and the neo-liberals, for fully successful and had achieved in whom this is about leverage for technology toto their scientific objectives and What has happened since the CTBT and status, and who are prepared to trade the capability to build fission and came into effect, however, is that almost the right to test for either. thermonuclear weapons with yields up to every country in the world accepts the 200 kilotonnes." norm that there should be no testing. What is noteworthy is that the two most marginal groups, the No need for India to conduct India, of course, famously refused to ultranationalists and the left, are the further nuclear tests sign the CTBT when it opened for signature only schools strictly opposed to signing on 24 September 1996, and subsequently the CTBT under any circumstances. By declaring Pokhran II a complete carried out a set of nuclear tests in 1998. success, New Delhi in effect indicated it Despite attempts by the government Prime Minister Singh has in recent does not need further tests. In this case, of Prime Minister Atul Bihari Vajpayee times stated in public and in private that India's existing moratorium on further
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India, Anil Kakodkar said in September 2009 "We want to re-emphasise that the 1998 tests were fully successful and » There are also a had achieved in toto their scientific objectives and the capability to number of other build fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields up to 200 kilotonnes." reasons why India should take another look at the CTBT. In India, the Treaty's civil and scientific applications are largely unknown.«
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed an estimated 18,000 Indians.
While New Delhi is waiting for the nuclear tests can be extended indefinitely rather because political circumstances US Senate to get the CTBT ball rolling and, if so, might well be transmuted into a would place it low on the priority list. again, it can afford to bring an end to its Treaty signature-cum-ratification. present Cold War-derived allergy to the The CTBT offers a range CTBTO and similar bodies. It is possible New Delhi could keep of civil and scientific CTBTO membership as a negotiating chip, applications Pakistan is a CTBTO observer keeping it on hold until it becomes a State even though it has not signed member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group There are also a number of other reasons the Treaty. The US and China – both and other non-proliferation technology why India should take another look at CTBT signatory States but who have control regimes. But this is a tactical the CTBT. In India, the Treaty's civil yet to ratify the Treaty – participate issue. Non-membership of the CTBTO and scientific applications are largely fully in the work of the organization. would not be in foreign policy interests or unknown. That its network of monitoring India could therefore easily be an an ideological stance. sites allowed the CTBTO to play a observer of the CTBTO without remarkable role in detecting and tracking compromising any of its principles. Over the last two years, there has the consequences of the March 2011 been a remarkable paralysis within the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident in
Indian polity. Prime Minister Singh's ruling Japan has received little notice in India. Biographical notes coalition has become increasingly unruly, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri the Indian economy has experienced a Similarly, there is little awareness is the Foreign Editor of Hindustan slowing growth rate and high inflation, in India that CTBTO data can be used to Times and has been with the paper and anti-incumbency runs between 30 to monitor tsunami-type geological activity since 2000. He wrote about 50 percent in legislative elections. This has and to help tsunami warning centres international politics and economic issues for The Telegraph and The led the political class to become extremely issue timely alerts. This was the case Statesman newspapers in Calcutta risk-averse, avoiding issues that are even when Japan suffered the 9.0 magnitude from 1985 to 2000. remotely sensitive. By the middle of 2012, earthquake that led to the destruction of In 2011, he was appointed to the there were an estimated 180 pieces of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power National Security Advisory Board legislation stuck in the Indian Parliament. plant reactor. Tokyo confirmed that CTBTO to the Prime Minister of India for a two-year term. data had helped them to send out tsunami Mr Chaudhuri also serves as a As a consequence, it is perfectly warnings within a few minutes, allowing delegate for a number of strategic possible that even if the US and China many people to escape to higher ground. and economic dialogues on behalf do ratify the Treaty, India would not of the Confederation of Indian necessarily be the first off the block India, which saw a surge in anti- Industries and the affiliated Aspen Institute of India. among the remaining nuclear powers to nuclear protests on its home soil after join the CTBT. This would not be a result the Fukushima accident, has been much An earlier version of this article was published of opposition to a test ban per se but more conscious about tsunamis since the in Hindustan Times on 2 March 2012.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 The CTBTO's Capacity Development The next course, in Advanced Initiative (CDI) aims to attract and Science, takes place from train the next generation of experts in 12-23 November 2012. It will all legal, political, technical and take an in-depth look at scientific aspects of the Treaty and its verification technologies and verification regime. Its courses, will include lectures by a which can be taken in person or via number of eminent scientists . e-learning tools, are designed to build capacity at the national, regional and international levels.
Voices Disarmament and non-proliferation education Recent developments and the way forward
By Elena K. Sokov a, Executive Director, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Even though the 2002 UN resolution on Education (A57/124), which contained world without nuclear weapons. A non-proliferation education received wide 34 specific recommendations aimed at range of new educational initiatives to support, its implementation in the form of the promotion and implementation of promote a nuclear-weapon-free world specific programmes lags behind, writes the disarmament and non-proliferation were also launched in 2010-2011, Elena Sokova from the Vienna Center for curricula at various levels of education. spanning a broad spectrum of efforts by Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. A growing While the resolution received wide international organizations, academic interest in nuclear issues combined with the support, its implementation has been institutions and think tanks. desire for a strengthened mandate reinforce lagging behind. For example, only nine her belief that high-quality disarmament member states submitted their reports and non-proliferation education should be in 2012. comprehensive, sustainable, and truly global. »Disarmament and Several developments over the The overall aim of disarmament and past two years, however, indicate non-proliferation issues non-proliferation education is to equip enhanced interest in the area of should become much individuals with the knowledge and skills disarmament and non-proliferation more prominent in necessary to allow them to work towards education, particularly in the nuclear the achievement of enhanced national sphere, and give hope that this interest academic institutions, and international security at lower levels could to be sustained and expanded. both in undergraduate of arms and ultimately general and complete disarmament under effective In April 2010, the Nuclear Security and graduate schools. « international control. The empowering Summit in Washington DC in its role of education in promoting and communiqué and work plan noted the advancing disarmament has been importance of education and training In March 2010, a group of recognized since the first special session in strengthening nuclear security. In universities, research centres and other of the United Nations General Assembly May 2010, the Review Conference of educational organizations gathered in on disarmament issues in 1978. the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Vienna to formalize the creation of a (NPT) in its Action Item 22, called network to promote nuclear security In 2002, the UN General on member states to fully implement education. The International Nuclear Assembly (resolution 57/60) endorsed the recommendations of the 2002 Security Education Network (INSEN) the UN Secretary-General's Report on study (A57/124) and acknowledged was established under the auspices of Disarmament and Non-proliferation the role of education in achieving a
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Voices the International Atomic Energy Agency A growing interest Ensuring the sustainability (IAEA) and now includes over 60 in nuclear issues of disarmament and non- universities from all geographic regions. proliferation education Members of the network jointly develop Several academic degree programmes teaching materials and programmes, on nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear These 2010-2012 developments are update each other on their academic and security, and similar issues have extremely important, but they should not be extra-curricular programmes, and share also been launched over the past taken as a signal that the global community best practices and resources. two years, including Masters-level can pat itself on the back and declare degree programmes at King's College 'mission accomplished'. On the contrary, the The launch of the Capacity in the UK, the Monterey Institute momentum created by both the recognition Development Initiative (CDI) by of International Studies in the USA, of the importance of the issue at the highest the Preparatory Commission for the and Tomsk Polytechnic University government level and the headway in various Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban in Russia. Over a dozen prominent academic and professional development Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in 2011 universities added new courses in this programmes, are only the initial steps in is another major contribution to area and plan to introduce certificate making high-quality disarmament and educational and training efforts in the and full Masters programmes. These non-proliferation education comprehensive, nuclear disarmament sphere. A series of include a consortium of six European sustainable, and truly global. introductory and advanced level courses universities that have agreed to allow held in Vienna have covered the political, students to transfer relevant academic Disarmament and non-proliferation legal, technical and scientific aspects of credits from one school to another. issues should become much more the Treaty and its associated verification prominent in academic institutions, both regime. The CDI is a timely and welcome Interest in nuclear disarmament in undergraduate and graduate schools. development in strengthening capacities and non-proliferation among students Despite the increase in the last decade of at the national, regional and international and young scholars continues to grow such programmes and courses at several level to ensure full implementation and is reflected in the enrollment universities, these issues are still far from and verification of the Comprehensive numbers and the proactive role the being part of the regular curriculum in Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and new generation plays in promoting the fields of humanities and sciences. The to further promote arms control and these issues. Of particular interest availability of dedicated disarmament and disarmament values and norms. It is also was the establishment in November non-proliferation programmes and courses gratifying to see that the CDI's courses 2010 in Vienna of a global network of falls short of demand and needs, particularly are designed to reach hundreds, if not young scholars and practitioners —the when geographical factors are taken into thousands, of students and professionals International Network of Emerging account. In many countries, including by supplementing in-class instruction Nuclear Specialists (INENS), which
with on-line streaming and other unites professionals with policy and Over 450 participants from 91 countries e-learning tools and by employing the technical backgrounds from many attended the CTBTO's Capacity Development Initiative Intensive Policy Course in Vienna, train-the-trainer approach. countries and continents. Austria, from 16 to 20 July 2012.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 »Education is truly weapons, including chemical, biological, training activities require substantial, long- a key building and conventional arms, also need to be part term commitment and investment. block on the path to of the comprehensive disarmament and peace and security.« non-proliferation curriculum. A number of measures could be undertaken to secure such a commitment. Capacity-building at the For example, the role of the United Nations those with strong historical support for national, regional and and its Office for Disarmament Affairs should disarmament, the number of scholars and international level be strengthened, particularly with regards faculties teaching these issues is usually in to the promotion of education and capacity low single digits, if not zero. The capacity and capabilities for offering building among Member States and regional academic and professional development organizations, as well as the coordination of The shortage of knowledgeable programmes differ considerably across existing efforts by various UN bodies and government experts and practitioners the globe, particularly in developing other international organizations. in the area of arms control and countries. Countries and organizations disarmament, however, cannot be with expertise and resources should A strengthened mandate would: changed through academic coursework make a concerted effort to extend their • Empower a more comprehensive approach alone. Professional development and programmes to regions that are lacking to education other training activities are another them. Wherever possible, representatives • Take advantage of complementary necessary component of this multifaceted from developing countries, including programmes across a variety of approach. A true partnership between women, should be encouraged to governmental and non-governmental academic and professional development participate, and young people should efforts programmes is also required. In this have the opportunity to be engaged. • Help avoid gaps respect, the developing partnership • Bring additional much needed attention between the CTBTO's CDI and a number Experts in arms control and and resources of universities that allow transfer of disarmament with first-hand experience, academic credits for CDI courses, is a however, are in short supply in both In this regard, it might be desirable to step in the right direction and should be developing and developed countries, establish an international disarmament and strengthened further. including nuclear weapon States. The old non-proliferation education fund under the generation of scholars and practitioners auspices of the UN to ensure that substantial Importance of a increasingly complain that very few resources are made available on a continuous comprehensive younger experts are coming to replace basis, particularly for regions in need. disarmament curriculum them. To an extent, this void developed after the end of the Cold War, when many It might also be helpful to appoint a As some of the already existing colleges and universities stopped focusing prominent international figure to become a programmes prove, disarmament and on these issues as the possibility of a global disarmament and non-proliferation non-proliferation education should nuclear exchange between East and West education ambassador, as well as increase embrace various aspects related to the was no longer imminent. Efforts focusing the role of UN regional offices in advancing subject, including policy, history, science on training the trainers, particularly this agenda. Other measures to raise and technology, social and legal issues. It for university professors and other the salience of the issues could also be does not mean that all of these issues need instructors, could remedy this situation. explored. The moment is ripe, and the to be equally addressed. The right balance These programmes have a multiplier effect international community should take full would depend on the main focus of the and are crucial for building national and advantage of the momentum created over programme and its audience. However, it regional capacities and for ensuring the the past two years. is very important that technical specialists sustainability of these efforts. are exposed to policy issues and it is similarly important for those studying A lasting commitment Biographical note social science to be aware of key technical and the next steps concepts underpinning policy decisions. Elena Sokova Former UN Secretary-General Kofi is the Executive Director of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non- The recent progress in academic and Annan's words that "education is quite Proliferation. Prior to coming to Vienna training courses with a focus on nuclear simply, peace-building by another name" in June 2011, she worked for 14 years issues, particularly in the area of nuclear are not just a catchy phrase. Education is at the James Martin Center for non-proliferation, verification technologies, truly a key building block on the path to Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey and security of nuclear materials, needs peace and security. However, the impact Institute of International Studies, a graduate school of Middlebury College to be matched with programmes that of education is sometimes not immediately (USA). From 1981 to 1992 she worked have a more robust focus on nuclear arms obvious or easily measurable. To make a at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of control and disarmament issues. Other lasting difference, various educational and the USSR/Russian Federation.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 voices A winning gambit Nuclear armed States stand to gain more than they lose from CTBT ratification
by Siegfried S. Hecker, Former Director of the L os Alamos National Laboratory
Countries tested nuclear weapons for technical, political and military reasons. Even though Siegfried Hecker, former Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, mentions the positive aspects of nuclear testing, he also explains why it is critical to erect as many barriers as possible to prevent the resumption of testing, the most important barrier being the CTBT’s entry into force.
During the Cold War, nuclear testing technologies for nuclear weapons. While to ask us (the directors of the nuclear played a crucial role in increasing the I was Director of Los Alamos National weapons laboratories with the technical sophistication of nuclear weapons. As Laboratory, the issues of ratifying the responsibility for the US arsenal) as the nuclear weapons became smaller, delivery Threshold Test Ban Treaty and signing the weapons aged or were replaced. methods moved from planes to ships and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty eventually to missiles. (CTBT) came up. In 1995, President President Clinton signed the Bill Clinton and Secretary of Defense CTBT in 1996 and instituted an annual I believe that countries tested for Bill Perry asked me to give a technical certification process, which requires technical, military and political reasons. assessment of the need for testing. the laboratory directors to assess the safety, security and reliability of the Demonstrating technical The question posed by the Chairman nuclear stockpile without nuclear testing. capabilities can make of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John The directors of the Los Alamos and the world a more Shalikashvili, on behalf of President Lawrence Livermore national laboratories dangerous place Clinton and Secretary Perry, was whether have continued to certify the US we needed to test to be able to certify the stockpile as safe, secure and reliable In the United States, the main reason for US nuclear stockpile. I replied that our without nuclear testing since 1996. testing was unquestionably technical – we weapons were safe, secure and reliable and had to demonstrate that the plutonium since US policy was not to field weapons For nuclear weapons, as for any other bomb worked so we exploded the Trinity with new capabilities, I could not say that sophisticated technology, testing had been bomb in the New Mexico desert before we had to test to keep them that way. But, an indispensable tool for scientific and a similar bomb was used at Nagasaki. I could not guarantee that they would technological advancement during the Cold We continued to test and to improve remain so over time, so they would have War. Over the years, nuclear testing had
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 President Bill Clinton signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 24 September 1996.
»For the United States, it is primarily international norms that constrain it from testing. There is a strong desire by some to have the United States lead the international non- proliferation regime. Unfortunately, that's not what Washington has done by failing to ratify the CTBT.«
conducted nuclear tests first 20 years. The military needs to gain to declare their nuclear confidence in the technical community power status. After an and testing demonstrates a country's interlude of 24 years nuclear capability. That was the case for since its 'peaceful' the United States and the Soviet Union. nuclear explosion in They performed many tests and possessed 1974, India tested three huge nuclear arsenals. The Chinese have devices on 11 May 1998, a different philosophy: they believe in followed by another two minimal nuclear deterrence and, hence, on 13 May. Pakistan are believed to have a small arsenal. North retaliated within two Korea claims it built nuclear weapons as weeks with six tests of a deterrent, primarily against the United its own in two separate States. However, during my discussions testing events. with North Korean authorities in Pyongyang I found little consideration of Although the Indian how they would actually use their nuclear not only allowed for greater sophistication and Pakistani tests demonstrated that weapons, nor did they seem well versed on of weapons, but it had also helped to their nuclear weapons programmes, the issues of safety and security of nuclear assure the safety, security and reliability of both decades in the making, produced weapons or military posture. the nuclear arsenal. functioning nuclear devices, the tests must also have raised many more technical Making a ‘political The Soviet Union, France questions. It is common testing practice statement' with and China also tested for technical to stage the timing of tests to allow the nuclear tests reasons. France conducted a significant results of one to inform the design of number of tests for the size of its the next. This was not the case for India The bombs that the United States arsenal – 204 tests by 1992. President and Pakistan because the five Indian dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Chirac announced in June 1995 that tests in 1998 were conducted almost August 1945 were not only supposed to France would carry out eight more simultaneously, as were all six Pakistani end the war with Japan but also to send tests in the Pacific before pulling out tests. In nuclear testing, as in most a signal to the Soviet Union. When the of the area and signing the CTBT. technological ventures, there is always Soviets detonated the ‘Tsar Bomba' over The French justified the tests on the something that doesn't work the way Novaya Zemlya on 30 October 1961, they grounds that they wanted to make you intended, no matter how good the were also making a powerful statement. their arsenal safer and more robust. computers are or how many laboratory The bomb was designed for 100-plus Technical progress and international tests have been conducted. The Indian and megatons but the Soviet designer, pressure limited the number of tests Pakistani test experiences did not allow for physicist Andrei Sakharov, persuaded in that campaign to six. The Chinese learning from one test to guide the design Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to test it also continued testing for reasons of of the next. Hence, there must be strong at half yield. Yuri Trutnev, the co-designer safety and the need to modernize their technical drivers for them to test again. of the ‘Tsar Bomba,' explained to me arsenal. They completed a test series (years later) that the bomb had no and signed the CTBT in 1996. For deterrence to work, nuclear military significance but it was exploded weapons must be effective. A lot of to send a message to the rest of the In 1998, the world became a more testing was carried out for military reasons world, i.e. that they were capable of dangerous place when India and Pakistan during the Cold War, especially during the developing a bomb at any level. It is
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 difficult to imagine the destructive Korea looked at itself: Pyongyang deterring the Soviet Union, to trying power of a 100-megaton bomb – that's began to use its self-declared nuclear to understand how the world's nuclear equivalent to 5,000 Nagasaki bombs! power status as an international threats were changing. The immediate bargaining tool that helped keep the danger at that time was the unstable France also tested for political regime in power. In addition, once it situation in Russia: the country was reasons, particularly during the days of tested, the bomb took on domestic going through political, economic and President Charles de Gaulle. China had importance. It was used to underscore societal turmoil while possessing an political grounds, to some extent. Political the great danger Pyongyang faces and enormous amount of nuclear materials reasons include declaring a country's the need for its people to continue their and a huge nuclear arsenal. Much of my nuclear status, which was the case for sacrifices to fend off these dangers. work over the last 20 years has focused India, and to some extent Pakistan and Now for all three reasons – security, on helping the Russian nuclear complex North Korea. India tested in two phases – making an international statement and deal with these challenges. first in 1974; what they called a 'peaceful' domestic reasons – it will be difficult to nuclear explosion. So, it was clearly get North Korea to give up its nuclear In the late 1990s we were not strictly driven by national security weapons. The international community confronted with the additional danger concerns. Then in 1998, when security was powers must convince Pyongyang that posed by A.Q. Khan and a number of a somewhat greater issue, but I believe the it would be better off without testing European businessmen who set up main driving force was domestic politics. and without a nuclear arsenal. the 'Nuclear Walmart', a proliferation Pakistan was obviously concerned about network, which involved selling to its security because of India: once India The perils of the aspiring nuclear powers the components tested, Pakistan felt that it had to test as dissolution of the Soviet to make and enrich uranium or to build well, making South Asia one of the most Union and the rise of their own reactor. They also sold nuclear dangerous areas in the world. The 1998 the ‘Nuclear Walmart' device design data and nuclear test data, tests and the North Korean tests in 2006 making it even more dangerous. and 2009 did significant damage to the I became Director of the Los Alamos international security regime. National Laboratory shortly after The world changed again with Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the events of 9/11. Over the last North Korea's nuclear programme the Soviet Union in 1985. My personal decade or so, the key international was principally driven by national focus changed from technical work nuclear challenges have been security, but the 2006 test changed in materials science and plutonium those associated with horizontal everything, particularly how North metallurgy and being preoccupied with proliferation and nuclear terrorism.
Siegfried Hecker, third from right, visiting the Yongbyon Scientific Nuclear Research Center, North Korea, August 2007.
"The international community powers must convince Pyongyang that it would be better off without testing and without a nuclear arsenal," urges Hecker in his article.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 World view of former and inactive nuclear test sites.
In Hecker's words: "The CTBT constrains nuclear weapons development and the sophistication of nuclear arsenals. It also reduces the risk of a renewed arms race, especially between India and Pakistan."
in any technological enterprise. Testing United States lead the international Why test now or represents the ground truth; it keeps non-proliferation regime. Unfortunately, in the future? the technical experts honest. However, that's not what Washington has done by nuclear testing also incurs a cost and the failing to ratify the CTBT. For the United From the American perspective, the real question is whether or not the costs States there is also significant domestic focus since 1992, when we conducted are greater than the benefits. pressure against testing and there are our last nuclear test, has been on the some financial constraints because it has safety and reliability of the country's What constrains become so expensive to test. nuclear weapons. I was in Washington nuclear testing? when President George H.W. Bush In Russia, the only constraints I see announced the nuclear testing To understand the benefits and costs are international norms and pressures – moratorium in 1992. When I returned of nuclear testing, we must understand the same applies for China. The UK and to Los Alamos I told my technical why countries would want to test and France also have technical constraints people: "Testing is over. It will be our what constrains them from doing so. I because they have no nuclear test site. responsibility to assure the nation have already pointed out that there are Israel, of course, is a special case, but it is that our weapons are safe, secure and technical, military and political reasons subject to similar constraints as the UK and reliable without testing. How are we for testing. For the United States and France. India and Pakistan have kept the going to do that?" This continues to Russia, with their huge nuclear arsenals, testing option open while observing the be the focus today. The weapons must a return to testing would primarily be moratorium. India has international and continue to be safe. They must also directed at keeping those arsenals safe, domestic constraints, whereas I believe be more secure since we now face a secure and reliable. For China, India, that international pressure is the only level of international terrorist threat Pakistan, and North Korea there would thing that prevents Pakistan from testing unimaginable before 9/11. also be strong drivers to test to enhance again. And pressure from China has had the sophistication of their arsenals. some, albeit limited, effect on North Korea. Some people claim that we do not France and the UK are similar to the need to test because of the enormous United States and Russia. For North Korea the main technical advances in computing power and constraint is the lack of bomb fuel. the fact we have acquired a better What constrains countries from They only have between 24 and 42 kg fundamental understanding of how testing are international norms, of plutonium, which is enough to make weapons work through what we call domestic pressures, and technical or between four and eight bombs. There's the Stockpile Stewardship Program financial factors. For the United States, no plutonium in the pipeline because (SSP). I disagree with those who say it is primarily international norms their plutonium production reactor was we lose nothing by not testing. There that constrain it from testing. There shut down in 2007 and has not been are benefits to nuclear testing, just like is a strong desire by some to have the restarted. We don't know exactly where
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 they are with regard to highly enriched testing and zero yield. Nevertheless, able to enhance its arsenal significantly. uranium but that presents significant I believe that we have adequate India benefits by constraining Pakistan, additional problems in terms of testing. verification capabilities today and that which has also only conducted six tests, When I was in North Korea in November we can build in sufficient safeguards and appears to be readying plutonium- 2010, Pyongyang revealed its uranium and verification measures to make the based tactical nuclear weapons for its enrichment facility during my visit to the Treaty adequately verifiable. arsenal. Pakistan benefits by India not Yongbyon nuclear complex. Prior to this being able to increase the sophistication time, I had assumed that the uranium In the end, the benefits of of its weapons. The testing moratorium by enrichment programme was at a research the CTBT outweigh the risks the major nuclear countries did not stop and development scale, but what they Pyongyang from testing and it may not be showed me was far greater and much As I pointed out, the CTBT poses a decisive factor in Tehran's decision as to more sophisticated. It is imperative challenges for nuclear armed States to whether it may test in the future. However, that the North Koreans don't build keep their arsenals safe, secure, and the increased international pressure more bombs or test again to build more reliable as long as they possess nuclear of a ratified CTBT may increase the sophisticated weapons. weapons. The technical risks of not effectiveness of international constraints testing must be mitigated by other means; and possibly affect their decision. Benefits of the CTBT for example, a robust SSP that leads to Regardless, I believe the States possessing a better fundamental understanding nuclear weapons today have more to gain The CTBT constrains nuclear weapons of nuclear weapons and an extensive by CTBT ratification and entry into force development and the sophistication stockpile surveillance programme to assess than they lose by not testing. of nuclear arsenals. It also reduces the and understand aging-induced changes risk of a renewed arms race, especially in the stockpile. Likewise, a country's CTBTO FACES between India and Pakistan. The Treaty nuclear weapons policies influence the Interview supports the nuclear non-proliferation risks of a CTBT. In the United States, for regime and is consistent with Article VI example, the policy of not developing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear weapons with new capabilities (NPT) and the eventual elimination of greatly reduces the technical risks incurred nuclear weapons. And although the by a CTBT. During the Cold War, testing health and ecological effects of testing was necessary to meet the government's are more limited today than during the drive to continually upgrade the arsenal to days of atmospheric testing, the CTBT counter the perceived Soviet threat. It was limits potential radioactive leakage also used to explore entirely new weapons from underground tests. concepts and potential vulnerabilities. In September 2011, while in Vienna to lecture at the CTBT Introductory Course, The verification issue As already pointed out, not Siegfried Hecker gave an in-depth and the definition testing greatly constrains the ability of interview in which he discussed of 'zero yield' a country to build more sophisticated his views on the benefits, and the nuclear arsenals and, consequently, challenges, of ending nuclear testing Great progress has been made in CTBT it reduces the risk of an arms race. verification technologies and protocols. Therefore, it is critical to erect as many To watch the interview point your Nevertheless, there are critics who barriers as possible to the resumption of browser to: ctbto.org/faces contend that low-yield, decoupled testing. Ratification of the CTBT and its explosions cannot be detected. So, the entry into force is the most important Biographical note issue is how proper protocols can be such barrier. We should not settle for the Siegfried S. Hecker implemented and how to determine the current moratorium on nuclear testing. is director emeritus at the Los Alamos military significance of such low-yield In addition to these global benefits, National Laboratory, where he served as explosions, if such tests are conducted. each of the States possessing nuclear director from 1986 to 1997 and senior weapons, in my opinion, has much to fellow until July 2005. He is currently engaged as research In the United States there will gain from a comprehensive test ban. professor in the Department of Management definitely be considerable focus on the and Engineering at Stanford University, definition of ‘zero yield'. What does it The United States and Russia have senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute really mean to have no nuclear testing? conducted 1,054 and 715 nuclear tests, for International Studies, and co-director of I believe it comes back to the issue of respectively. Along with France and the the Stanford University Centre for International Security and Cooperation. what is militarily significant. There is UK, they benefit greatly by not having particularly great concern in the United China test since it has conducted only This article is loosely based on a presentation States about potential asymmetries in 45 tests. China benefits because India, Dr Hecker made at the CTBT Introductory Course in Vienna in September 2011. how Russia and China define nuclear with only six nuclear tests, will not be
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 CVERIFICivil andATION Scientific SCIENCE Applications The Fukushima nuclear accident Lessons learned and possible implications
By Tatsujiro Suzuki Vice Chairman Japan Atomic Energy Commission
report is my personal observation based on the above reports and other publicly available information.
Prevention of the accident: 'A Man-made Disaster'
This point was particularly emphasized by How can we control nuclear weapons if we accident and are still uncertain as to when the Diet's commission. It concludes that cannot control nuclear energy, asks Tatsujiro they can return to their original hometowns. the accident was a 'man-made disaster', i.e. Suzuki of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission Although conditions at the Fukushima the accident would have been preventable in his article. Highlighting the main points raised power stations have improved, it will take if the operators and regulators had by the Japanese government investigation more than 30 years to remove melted acted properly based on the information committee and the independent investigation fuel debris from the site. Still, we need to available to them. In particular, the most committee, Suzuki provides an invaluable insight draw lessons based on the knowledge and important fact quoted in the report by into the Fukushima accident in March 2011. information available so far to assure the the Diet's commission was that both the safety of existing nuclear facilities and the operator, TEPCO, and the regulator, the The Tohoku District-off the Pacific Ocean possible implications this has for future Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency Earthquake and the resulting tsunamis nuclear energy policy. (NISA), had been aware since 2006 of the struck the Fukushima Dai-ichi and risk that a total outage of electricity at the Fukushima Dai-ni Nuclear Power Stations Two important reports have been Fukushima Dai-ichi plant might pose if a of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) published, one by the government tsunami were to reach the level of the site. at 14:461 on 11 March 2011. A nuclear investigation committee (the Government The report also concluded that there were accident unprecedented in both scale and committee)2 and the other by the many opportunities for taking preventive timeframe followed. Since then this has independent investigation commission measures prior to 11 March. However, become an historic day to remember for all (the Diet's commission)3 set up by the TEPCO did not take the necessary nuclear experts not only in Japan but also Diet – Japan's Parliament. The following measures and NISA and the Nuclear Safety in the rest of the world. Commission (NSC) were aware of this. ______[1] All times herein are JST, which is nine hours ahead Meanwhile, the report by the Government More than 17 months have passed of UTC/GMT. committee concluded that the scale of the but the accident is not completely over. [2] Investigation Committee on the Accident at the tsunami was 'beyond [the] imagination' of Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations, Final Report More than 100,000 residents in Fukushima Recommendations, July 2012 TEPCO and regulators, and also said that are still living in temporary housing due [3] The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear their preventive measures were insufficient to the evacuation that took place after the Accident Independent Investigation Commission against tsunami and severe accident. (NAIIC), Final Report, July 2012.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 NAIIC 35
Kantei (Prime Minister’s Oce) O -site Center Figure 1 delegates Structure of Nuclear Emergency authority Prime Minister’s Emergency Prime Minister’s Nuclear Response Headquarter, Regulators, Regional Nuclear and the Operators Response HQ Emergency Response HQ instructs Emergency Response Team Source: National Diet Commission Report. (2012)
Crisis Management supports Center supports Local Government Emergency Response Team
Council on reports dispatches sta Nuclear Emergency reports NISA Emergency Measures Cabinet Oce Response Center dispatches sta Secretariat of the Secretariat of the Nuclear instructs Emergency Response HQ Emergency Response HQ commands supervises Town Emergency advises Response HQ dispatches advises Commission members • advises Prefectural Emergency Nuclear Safety Commission Operators • Related Institutions Response HQ ▶ operations;In short, andthe accident,3) there althoughwas a lack of suitableEm explanationergency R etos ponthe public.se: This led towas an supposedDiagram to playof the a centralemergency role in directlyincreased caused state by of an disorder historic earthquakeand confusion on the'U nprepground.ared' sharing informationcommunication and protocol coordinating and tsunami, was preventable and thus it an emergency response, did not wasEvaluating a 'man-made the accident'. government and KanteiBoth the emergency Government responsecommittee and function due to a loss of power caused We respect the efforts of the governmentthe and Diet's other commission concerned concluded parties considering that bythe the earthquake. All staff needed to extreme conditions in which they found themselves—dealingboth TEPCO and the withregulators the accident, were the earthevacuate- the centre later due to high »In short,quake and thetsunami accident, at the same time underunprepared extremely high-pressurefor a tsunami and conditions. a severe Thereradiation was levels. As a result, information althoughlittle time directly for a measured caused approach, andby they accident, were required as well asto forgo withouta so-called eating or sleepingsharing and coordination among key for long periods of time. 'multiple disaster' (i.e. a natural players did not work well. (Figure 1) an historicBut there earthquakeare two points which and must be stated.disaster First such of as all, a bigthe earthquake group at the and Kantei did not tsunami,understand was the properpreventable role the Kantei shouldtsunami have and taken a severe in a crisis. nuclear There accident has been much The Government committee attention given to the miscommunication thatbetween happened the Kantei subsequently, and TEPCO which on the issuestated of in its interim report published in and whetherthus theit withdrawalwas a "man- from the plant thatcould TEPCO cause planned much wouldworse consequencesbe all of the workers December or a 20113: madefraction accident."« of them. However, the state of the reactorsthan a single was sodisaster). severe Forthat example, TEPCO had to ask for some kind of retreat. In this situation, the Kanteithe off-site should emergency have confirmed centre, thewhich possibility that "The Investigation Committee is all workers would have to retreat, in order to plan the evacuation of residents and take other convinced of the need of a paradigm measures to protect residents. shift in the basic principles of disaster It is clear that the Kantei should not have intervened in issues that TEPCO was capable of prevention programs for such a huge handling, such as the condition of the vent and the injection of seawater, and should have system, whose failure may cause confirmed the meaning of President Shimizu’s comments about the retreat. Its interven- enormous damage." tion, establishing a government-TEPCO headquarters at TEPCO, is equally unfathomable. A second point is that the direct intervention by the Kantei, including Prime Minister Both the Government committee Kan’s visit to the Fukushima Daiichi plant, disrupted the chain of command and brought and the Diet's commission concluded disorder to an already dire situation at the site. Starting with the Prime Minister’s visit to that, not only TEPCO and the the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a new route was established to communicate information between the Kantei and Fukushima Daiichi and the head office of TEPCO. This new routeregulators, but the central government, was contrary to the official information flow from Fukushima Daiichi to the head office of TEPCO and on to NISA and the Kantei (the Prime Minister’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters). The new route required TEPCO to communicate its information not only to NISA but also to the Kantei, contributing to the disruption of TEPCO’s response and disorCombined- results of 211 flight hours of aerial monitoring operations and ground measurements made by DOE, DoD der in the plant. and Japanese monitoring teams. At all times, the government’s priority must be its responsibility for public health and Source:wel- National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) fare. But because the Kantei’s attention was focused on the ongoing problems at the plant—US Department of Energy which should have been the responsibility of the operator—the government failed in its responsibility to the public. The Kantei’s continued intervention in the plant also set the ______stage [3] Investigation Committee on the Accident at for TEPCO to effectively abdicate responsibility for the situation at the plant. the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations, Interim Report, December 26, 2011
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 NAIIC 53
Evacuation 3km 10km 20km Instruction (EI) 100%
Namie Futaba Katsurao 80% Hirono Okuma Futaba Tamura 3.14 21:00 Tomioka Okuma Katsurao 3.12 18:25 Tomioka EI Naraha Naraha 20km 60% EI Namie ◀ When did you learn that
Minamisoma Hirono your residential area was an Tamura evacuation zone? 40% Minamisoma Kawauchi Kawauchi
20% Katsurao Kawamata Kawamata Iitatemura Iitatemura 0% Percentage of residents 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 who knew about the evacuation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Figure 2 Futaba Sources of information about the evacuation instruction Okuma Source: National Diet Commission Report. (2012) Tomioka
Naraha
Namie
Hirono ◀ Source of Information About Tamura the Evacuation Instruction
Minamisoma
Kawauchi
Katsurao
Kawamata
Iitate
Family or Police Municipalities neighbors
TEPCO Others TV, radio, or internet
actually happening. That is what I recall. Can you think what life is like when you are displaced and separated from your friends and people you know?” in particular the Nuclear Emergency of radiation hazards might spread. The "..they [operators and regulators] Response(ii) Comment Headquarters by a resident(NERHQs) of Okuma:at government noted that the SPEEDI data repeatedly avoided, compromised the Prime“If there Minister's had been office, even was a wordnot about awere nuclear not disclosed power plant initially when because the evacuation was or postponed any course of ordered, we could have reacted reasonably, taken our valuables with us or locked up prepared for a nuclear emergency. The they were not reliable and thus were action…The FEPC has been the the house before we had left. We had to run with nothing but the clothes we were Diet's commission concluded that the not helpful for evacuation purposes. main organization through which wearing. It is such a disappointment every time we are briefly allowed to return home government, the regulators, TEPCO Unfortunately, however, communication this intransigent position was only to find out that we have been robbed again.” management and the Prime Minister's failure on the radioactive release maintained…In fact, it was a typical office(iii) lacked Comment the preparation by a resident and of the Tomioka: hindered the effective evacuation example of ‘regulatory capture,' in mindset“We to wanted perform to an hear emergency clearly that we wouldof notthe localbe able public. to return (Figure for 2) awhile. The I couldn’t bring which the oversight of the industry response. Miscommunication and Diet's commission concluded that the by regulators effectively ceases." mistrust among regulators, the Prime government and the regulator are not Minister's office and TEPCO were the fully committed to protecting public As a result, the Japanese nuclear result of poor crisis management by health and safety. On this point, the industry has fallen behind international the government. The Government Government committee recommended standards in meeting the challenges committee also recommended that the that nuclear operators and the of a tsunami and a severe accident. In crisis management system for a nuclear regulators should establish a systematic short, they failed to keep up the global disaster should be urgently reformed. activity to identify all risk potentials standard of the so-called five layers of from the "disaster victims' standpoint". 'defense in depth' strategy. Protecting Public Health: 'Communication Failure' Regulatory Framework: In order to reform this regulatory 'Captured by the structure, both reports emphasized Both the Government committee and Utility Industry' the importance of the "independence" the Diet's commission criticized the and "transparency" for the newly government for failing to communicate One of the most important conclusions established regulatory organization. with the public in order to minimize of both reports was the deficiency of the risk and concerns of the local a regulatory framework. In particular, International dimension: population. In particular, both reports the Diet's commission stated that the Importance of information concluded that the government did regulator was 'captured' by the utility disclosure and sharing not use the System for Prediction industry, i.e. the utility industry, of Environmental Emergency Dose through its Federation of Electric Finally, the international dimension of Information (SPEEDI) effectively. Power Companies (FEPC), guided and the accident needs to be emphasized. In SPEEDI was intended to be utilized to controlled the regulatory process to particular, information disclosure and inform the policy makers and the public serve their interests. According to the sharing was considered insufficient, in which direction and how far the risk Diet's commission: particular with neighbouring countries. A
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 lack of adequate and timely information Japan's role as a provider of disaster- this context that the international from Japan after the accident was cited related information to Japan and the community can work together with as one of the reasons for increased world. It further recommended that Japan to overcome this crisis. concern about the risk of radiation. In "the new regulatory organization must this context, international monitoring establish an organizational framework Second, let's make Fukushima of radioactive materials in the air and that enables it to provide information a symbol of 'recovery'. Fukushima water can be very effective in providing in a timely and appropriate manner is now the victim of one of the most an accurate picture of the consequences during an emergency." serious nuclear accidents in human of the accident. In fact, the global history. But I sincerely believe network of radioactive monitoring Conclusion: From Fukushima can become a symbol of stations established by the Preparatory Fukushima to the W orld 'recovery'. And this should be the Commission for the Comprehensive goal of the Japanese Government Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization I would like to conclude with the and I will personally do my best to (CTBTO) was instrumental in reporting following personal remarks. achieve this goal as a government traces of radioactivity from the accident official and as an individual. and sharing this information globally. First, we should be able to Although the purpose of this network overcome this tragic accident with our Finally, in order to achieve is to detect nuclear tests, monitoring wisdom. Yes, this is an unprecedented the above two goals, I believe radioactive materials (gases) in the air crisis, but a crisis can be an opportunity. that the role of scientists can be could be used to estimate the impact of We will draw lessons and come up extremely important. One of the serious nuclear accidents like Fukushima. with innovative ideas to improve the important lessons we learned from safety of nuclear power plants and to the Fukushima accident is that The Diet's committee clean up the site. If we cannot control closer collaboration between nuclear recommended that "active and polite nuclear energy, how can we control engineers/scientists and other responses should be in place for prompt nuclear weapons? We should overcome fields of scientists, especially social and accurate provision of relevant this man-made disaster with a humble scientists, is definitely needed to information with due consideration to attitude towards nature, science and further improve the 'safety culture' of language barriers." It also emphasized technologies. I truly appreciate in the nuclear community.
I sincerely hope that the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident can be shared by the global community and can be useful for improved safety and a better understanding of nuclear technology.
Biographical note
Tatsujiro Suzuki has been a Vice Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission since January 2010. Before that, he was an Associate Vice President of the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry in Japan and Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo. From 1988 to 1993, he was an Associate Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's International Program on Enhanced Nuclear Power Safety. Dr Suzuki is also a former member of the Pugwash Council.
The opinions expressed in this paper are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission or the Japanese government. A regional dispersion simulation made by the Austrian Meteorological Service ZAMG
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 VERIFICATION SCIENCE
Helping to make the world a safer place
A crucial link in a global network of monitoring stations: primary seismic station PS31
By Ik Bum Kang Principal researcher at the Korea Institute of GeoScience and Mineral Resources
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Principal station operator of PS31, Dong-Chang Park, standing in the front row, far left. Principal researcher at KIGAM, Ik Bum Kang, fourth from the left, front row. Senior researcher at KIGAM, Tae Sung Kim, eighth from right.
Operating and maintaining a seismic station the Preparatory Commission for the officially certified by the CTBTO located just 130 km from the border with Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban as meeting all of its technical North Korea can be a challenging task. Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in requirements. But even before Former Project Manager of PS31 Ik Bum Vienna, Austria, for analysis. At this certification, the data proved to Kang describes the key role his station stage it was still unclear just how be very precise and reliable and plays in detecting nuclear explosions. important the data would prove to be. fulfilled the specifications laid out in the operational manual. As Just 130 km north of Wonju part of a network of stations – the Monday 9 October 2006 is a day lies the border with the Democratic International Monitoring System that will remain permanently etched People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), (IMS) – which is being established in my memory. The day started more commonly known as North around the globe to detect all normally enough but at 10:36 am Korea. Six days earlier, on 3 October, nuclear explosions, PS31 was the local time (01:36 GMT), the seismic North Korea had announced that it was closest of 22 IMS seismic stations monitoring station in Wonju, the planning to detonate a nuclear device. that registered signals originating Republic of Korea, registered a On 9 October, the country's official from an event in North Korea. relatively large event measuring news agency issued a press statement 4.2 in magnitude. This aroused my declaring that it had conducted a Although the seismic signals interest as I was responsible for successful underground test. were characteristic of a man-made issues related to the verification of explosion, it was only two weeks the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Key role in detecting North later that evidence proving the Treaty (CTBT). The station – known Korea's 2006 nuclear test nuclear nature of the event became as PS31 – automatically sent the data available. When an IMS radionuclide that it had recorded in real-time to At the time, PS31 was still operating station in northern Canada detected in test mode, meaning that it was traces of the radioactive noble gas transmitting the seismic data it xenon 133 in the air, scientists recorded to the CTBTO's headquarters at the CTBTO used backtracking Maintaining primary seismic station PS31, on a test basis to check the data's calculations to identify the source of Wonju, Republic of Korea availability and reliability. Three the particles, which could be traced weeks later, the station was back to North Korea.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Station operators carrying out field work at PS31. When temparatures plummet, reaching PS31 can prove challenging.
Monitoring nuclear about 64 km north of the current events, the largest local event the explosions on the K orean location in Wonju. Situated in station recorded was the Youngwol Peninsula and beyond Gangwon province on the east side Earthquake near Wonju area in 1996, of the Republic of Korea, Wonju which measured 5.5 in magnitude; PS31 continues to play a key role in has a population of almost 300,000. and the most significant teleseismic monitoring nuclear tests in and near The Republic of Korea is the only event was the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku the Korean Peninsula. When North country that shares a land border Earthquake that struck the north- Korea announced that it had conducted with North Korea. The country is eastern coast of Japan on 11 March a second nuclear test on 25 May mostly surrounded by water and has 2011. With regard to nuclear tests, in 2009, PS31 was one of 61 IMS seismic almost 2,500 km of coastline along its 1985 the station detected a nuclear stations that registered an event three seas. test carried out in China and in 1998 measuring 4.5 in magnitude. Over it picked up signals from the nuclear the three years since the first test, Despite its proximity to the tests in Pakistan even though the the IMS had expanded considerably. 'Ring of Fire' and the Circum-Pacific epicentral distance was more than By mid-2012, over 80 percent of its Earthquake Belt, seismicity in Korea 10,000 km away. facilities were fully operational. is relatively stable compared to its neighbours, China and Japan. Most Operating and In the Korean Peninsula, local of the events analyzed every year are maintaining the station seismic and infrasound stations less than 2.0 in magnitude and few complement IMS stations to provide events are felt by the people living in PS31 was installed in 1972 by the Air more information about man-made and near the Korean Peninsula. Force Technical Application's Centre events in order to maintain the (AFTAC). The location was selected nuclear-free zone policy in the PS31 generates the data that because of its proximity to nearby Korean Peninsula. helps to distinguish between small- nuclear countries, namely China, the magnitude man-made explosions Soviet Union, and North Korea. At Relocating from and natural events that can cause the beginning, AFTAC dispatched Chunchon to Wonju seismic waves such as earthquakes about 45 staff to look after the and also plays an important role station including technicians and The original station was established in investigating seismicity in the analysts. Now there are seven AFTAC in 1966 near the city of Chunchon, region. With regard to natural staff and five staff from the Korea
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 All KIGAM technicians are able to drive the amphibious The amphibious vehicle called an ARGO 8x8 ATV proves to be indispensable. vehicle required to reach one of PS31's arrays.
Institute of Geoscience and Mineral operator of PS31, in 1996. It also and maintenance of PS31, including Resources (KIGAM) who work here conducts comprehensive geological the management of team members as technicians. surveys as well as exploring for and the safety of all personnel. and developing energy and mineral KIGAM staff are fully engaged in KIGAM was established almost resources domestically and abroad. As monitoring nuclear tests by ensuring 100 years ago and was designated the principal station operator, Dong- the safety of the sites and the as the National Data Centre (NDC), Chang Park has full responsibility for reliability and availability of the which is equivalent to serving as the everything related to the operation data generated by the 26 elements making up PS31. NDC staff monitor seismic activity in and near the Korean Peninsula around the clock, incorporating data which they receive from the CTBTO's International Data Centre into their analysis.
The NDC also monitors information pertaining to PS31's state of health – in case NDC staff observe any problems at the station which might affect data availability and/or data quality, a duty officer is informed.
Clearing the build-up of snow from a solar panel at PS31.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Station operators carrying out KIGAM and AFTAC staff relaxing after a hard day's work. field work at PS31
Meeting One of the PS31's array elements Korea is committed to the challenge is especially challenging to reach international peace and security because there is no road access. It and to further promoting the CTBT The most challenging aspect is that, can only be reached by using an and verification-related matters over the years, the amount of seismic amphibious vehicle, called an ARGO by providing technical assistance background noise in the Wonju area 8x8 ATV, to cross the river. All KIGAM to developing countries. This has risen to make the signal to noise technicians have received training in assistance includes capacity building ratio lower, especially in the immediate the use of this vehicle. activities related to the operation vicinity of PS31, because of the and maintenance of IMS stations as increase in the volume of traffic and Capacity building: one of well as hosting more workshops and road construction. many membership benefits training courses.
Another issue we have to In order for KIGAM staff to ensure contend with is the station's that PS31 is fully operational and Biographical note mountainous location, which entails continuously maintained, technical a trek up to 670 metres above sea support from the CTBTO is essential. IK BUM Kang level to reach the relay site. A broad range of capacity building is a Principal Researcher at the Korean Earthquake Research Center activities organized by the CTBTO of the the Korea Institute of The elements making up PS31 such as introductory and advanced Geoscience and Mineral Resources are actually spread over a 30 x 40 km training courses and workshops for (KIGAM). Dr Kang has been area consisting of rugged mountains operating and maintaining the station involved in PS31-related matters and small plains in the valleys. The have proven very beneficial. since 1996, when the Republic of Korea nominated KIGAM as the intra-site communications subsystem Korean National Data Centre is distributed throughout the Wonju In October 2008 Korea hosted responsible for the operation and array with equipment at every a Regional Training Programme for management of PS31. He has also borehole site, which makes servicing Station Operators and National Data participated in CTBT-related the station difficult, especially in Centre Technical Staff at KIGAM's meetings as the representative of the Republic of Korea since 1996. rainy or cold weather. headquarters in Daejeon.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Status of certified IMS Facilities AL CERTIFIEDTESTING UNDER CONPLSATRUCTIONNNED TOT as of 3 September 2012 272 19 13 33 337
MORE Google Map Features
Various new interactive features have recently been added to all the world maps on our website, including:
PDF MAP CREATOR which allows you to create a printable colour version of the signature/ratification maps on a global and regional basis.
PDF REPORTS which provides a comprehensive breakdown of the map that was selected
Visit online: www.ctbto.org/map
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 VERIFICATION SCIENCE Practice makes
by Kirsten perfect Haupt
Getting ready for the next full inspection simulation
Conducting an on-site inspection (OSI) How it all starts – involves a huge amount of technical and the launch phase On-Site logistical preparations. Former CTBTO staff Inspections member Kirsten Haupt describes some of The CTBTO currently runs through all the exercises leading up the next full-scale aspects of an inspection separately, simulated OSI in Jordan in 2014, including simulating processes and activities while the launch phase and testing the logistical adhering to one overall game scenario. aspects of running a base camp. This way each phase or situation can be played out in detail to identify what In September 2008, the CTBTO works and what doesn't. conducted an ambitious project in Kazakhstan– simulating a complete In April 2012 it was time to test the ground search for tell-tale signs of a launch phase of an inspection. It covers nuclear explosion – an on-site inspection. all activities from the receipt of a request FACTS AND FIGURES: Four years later and building on the for an on-site inspection until the arrival Size of inspection area: 1,000 km2 Number of inspectors: lessons learned from the time spent in of the inspection team in the State that is 40 at any given time the Kazakh steppe, the CTBTO is now suspected of having detonated a nuclear Equipment: over 100 tons gearing up for the next big simulation weapon. This phase had never been fully Length of inspection: 60 days with possibility of extending exercise in Jordan in 2014, IFE14. played out before. to a maximum of 130 days Understanding the Apart from the CTBTO's on-site Once the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT) has entered into force, importance of simulations inspection experts, no one has ever heard a State Party will be able to request an on- and role play of the fictitious States of Equilibria and site inspection if it suspects that another Forestia. Game planners invented these State has conducted a nuclear explosion. Experience shows that simulations and States for the simulation scenario. At the The State Party subjected to such an role play are efficient tools for testing the start of the exercise in April, Equilibria inspection cannot refuse to allow it to procedures and techniques of an on-site claimed that it had sufficient evidence take place. One of the main benefits of an on-site inspection regime is that it inspection. Playing out their roles helps to show that Forestia had conducted deters potential violators from conducting everybody involved – future inspectors, an underground nuclear explosion. nuclear explosions in the first place. planners, administrative experts and Equilibria's request for an on-site It thus increases confidence in States' compliance with the Treaty. logisticians – to have a better understanding inspection kicked off a chain of activities. of their function in the overall operation. And the clock started ticking. "The key
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 The CTBTO tested an almost complete set of on-site inspection techniques and procedures during a month- long exercise in Kazakhstan in September 2008. Photos courtesy of Kirsten Haupt.
thing is that we only have six days to get In a real-life scenario, inspectors over the world. There were not just flight the inspection team on the ground," said would be confronted with an area of up schedules and availabilities to deal with, exercise manager Gordon Macleod. to 1,000 square kilometres. The inspection but also visa arrangements for all potential team uses a search logic methodology to inspectors. Planning first field activities narrow down the target areas for their investigation. "One of the first activities All flight and visa arrangements were At the centre of an inspection is most likely to be conducted is the initial genuine. A travel agent was involved. And a team of inspectors including overflight," said Prah. "It will give the so was the Austrian Ministry of Foreign experts in seismology, geophysics, team an overview of the entire inspection Affairs, which helped with the travel radionuclides, radiation protection, area and generates a huge amount of procedures. Two cases were particularly communications, logistics and IT. valuable information for the remainder of authentic from a logistical point of view. In the early phase, a core group of the search." Claudia Arango Galvan travelled from inspectors draft the initial inspection Mexico City and Gong Bing from Xi'an in plan in preparation for the all-out Bringing in inspectors from China to join the inspection team. Both ground search. Matjaž Prah, all corners of the globe geophysicists had been pulled out of their Coordinator of the On-Site Inspection daily routines at extremely short notice Division at the CTBTO, headed this Another challenging task is to assemble and flown to Austria. core inspection team during the the team of inspectors. The CTBTO keeps launch phase exercise: "In the initial a roster with potential inspectors from all Logistical challenges inspection plan we list all activities corners of the globe. In the simulation, that we need to conduct in the first roughly 120 of them were contacted by An on-site inspection under the Treaty is two to three days of the inspection." email. Although there was no forewarning, a big logistical endeavour. An estimated an impressive one third of all people 100 tons of equipment – from seismic What are those activities? They contacted indicated their availability. sensors and magnetometers to geophysical include essential issues such as building instruments and radiation monitoring the base of operations, establishing During the launch phase exercise, devices including noble gas detection communication links with the CTBTO's the CTBTO's Kim Gensen worked on travel systems – must be ready on the ground headquarters in Vienna, ensuring and accommodation arrangements. She from day one. communication in the field, organizing explained that this was sometimes tricky accommodation, and – most importantly – as inspectors needed to arrive within a In June 2012, the CTBTO tested initiating inspection activities. few days of being contacted and from all the logistical aspects of running a base
Kim Gensen (right) made all travel arrangements and had to contend with time restrictions during Matjaž Prah headed the core inspection the launch phase exercise. team during the launch phase exercise
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Participants wore different coloured This facility in Guntramsdorf, Austria, is the Top: Future inspectors Bottom: Building up the arm bands to illustrate their role in starting point for the shipment of tons of need to be able to run the camp will test team-building the exercise during the launch phase. equipment to any future inspection exercise. pumps for the shower. skills.
camp. Inspectors are all specialists Practicing radiation safety issues in May 2012 where the focus in their particular areas. But in the protection was on radiation protection. Seasoned field during an inspection they need radiation health experts instructed to perform tasks that are unrelated Radiation protection is a key issue for all participants on the basic principle of to their specialization. For example, future inspectors. Should they get called ALARA – to keep exposure to radiation As they may need to construct their own up to help search for evidence of a nuclear Low As Reasonably Achievable in terms camp including all tents for working explosion, they will work in potentially of the time of exposure, distance to the and accommodation as well as sanitary contaminated areas. And in addition to radiation source and by using objects as installations. And they may need to be their area of expertise, they all need to be shields from the source of radiation. Bob able to run essential equipment such familiar with the relevant precautions. Irwin, a Canadian radiation protection as generators, water supply systems expert, was one of the instructors: and heaters. Not everyone has done More than 70 experts, who are "Inspectors need to have the tools, the that before so the CTBTO invited potential candidates for participation in instruments and the training to know what potential future inspectors to have test IFE14, from over 40 countries, underwent to do when they encounter potentially runs with all this equipment. a week-long training course on health and dangerous situations."
Future inspectors need to know how to erect a tent. This aspect was tested during the base camp exercise in June 2012. As part of the training, potential future inspectors simulated situations they could face in the field such as suddenly being confronted with elevated radiation. They learned how to identify and mark the source of radiation in a field environment and, very importantly, how to cope with accidental radioactive contamination.
Potential future inspectors were also trained in decontamination procedures at the re-entry to the base of operations after a working day out in the field. It is absolutely essential for the success of an on-site inspection that the base of operations is protected from any accidental
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Future inspectors practiced searching for a radioactive source in the terrain in the health and safety training in May 2012. They needed to do so whilst applying safety guidelines.
contamination. Since radioactivity is both protection training as a prerequisite for into force, this ultimate instrument for invisible and odourless, utmost vigilance their participation in an on-site inspection. verifying Treaty compliance needs to be is required. As Dharani Wijesundara, a fully operational. It will be an essential geologist from Sri Lanka and participant Two more years of element in the global regime that detects in the training, said: "All of us will need preparation all nuclear explosions. to do this someday. It's better to have the training now and I think we need a lot In two years, the next complete run more practice. In future we have to do through of an on-site inspection will be this on a routine basis." After the Treaty's played out in Jordan. Until then, there is entry into force, it will be mandatory still a lot that needs to be done to prepare for all inspectors to undergo radiation future inspectors. When the CTBT enters
A central theme of the radiation protection training was to practice using the protective suits.
Biographical note
Kirsten Haupt is an historian who worked for CTBTO Public Information from 2005 to 2012. Prior to this, she worked for 13 years in the field of public information in peacekeeping missions in Cambodia and in the former Yugoslavia. She is currently Head of the Editorial and Media Relations Unit at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy. 37
CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 Making Waves Guest writers share their personal views on nuclear-related topics
How things have changed! Back in the 1950s and 60s, the nuclear threat By Angela was almost impossible to avoid. For a Leuker start, nuclear testing was commonplace; even announced in the media with A grim, a certain sense of national pride. At the same time, the air was thick unwanted legacy with accusations fired backwards and forwards between Cold War foes. The face-off created the feeling of living The nuclear inheritors can help forge historical on a nuclear precipice, especially for change. Yet many young people today are unaware a public who, back then, generally of the existence of global nuclear arsenals. believed what they were told. Over the years, as the worldwide peace movement grew and developed its In a recent series of interviews with the to disappoint you, folks, but there are still muscle, protest actions against nuclear CTBTO, a number of experts on nuclear some 20,000 nuclear weapons in the world weapons produced some stunning disarmament and non-proliferation today, with nearly 2,000 of them chillingly results, such as the CTBT. Yet here discussed how young people today are described as 'on hair-trigger alert'. Just we are, decades later, and even if the shocked when they learn that nuclear think about those numbers for a minute gut-wrenching fear has gone, the threat weapons still exist in the world – and and digest their meaning. They portend a of a nuclear conflict caused by accident how they feel cheated that earlier holocaust of unimaginable proportions. or design is patently real. generations have let this situation continue. International security Of course there are occasional Now, more than ever, it's time specialist Patricia Lewis calls them the spikes in the public's attention, like to build a groundswell of opinion to nuclear inheritors. those triggered recently in connection bring about real and lasting change. with the precise nature of Iran's nuclear These days, thanks to modern I guess that makes me something of programme or whether North Korea communications techniques, there is a nuclear ancestor, even if an unwilling will conduct a third nuclear test. But the potential to galvanize people into one. Growing up in the UK in the 1960s, these days it's the issues of political action on an unprecedented scale. But I wore the iconic Ban the Bomb logo repression, climate change, or the for that to happen, we all have to work on my clothes and draped it across my profligacy of the financial world that together and share the responsibility, bedroom walls; I knew all of the lyrics move people, especially the young, to young and old alike. And that means to Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall'; raise their voices and protest. Images of that the nuclear inheritors must be and I joined the Campaign for Nuclear an impending nuclear war do not keep made unequivocally aware of the true Disarmament's Aldermaston to London mankind awake at night. nature of their grim legacy. marches. I worried about the probability of nuclear war. But then, like most It's said this is because the fear people, I somehow got used to living in factor has been neutralized. It faded the shadow of the mushroom cloud and with the dramatic improvement in Biographical note moved on with my life. relations between the United States and Angela Leuker the Soviet Union, the world's two major is a writer and multi-media producer. Still, as a nuclear ancestor, I'm nuclear powers, in the late 1980s, and She worked for more than 20 years constantly surprised by the fact that so disappeared almost completely with the as journalist/bureau manager in Time Magazine's Central Europe many people today are unaware of the subsequent collapse of the Warsaw Pact Bureau before joining the Media continuing threat of nuclear weapons. and reunification of Europe. Instead of and Outreach Section of the It's as though in the euphoria following the nightmare of a deliberate nuclear International Atomic Energy Agency the end of the Cold War, the peace fairy attack provoking a cataclysmic global in 2006. She has been a member of waved her magic wand and nuclear war, people on both sides of the former CTBTO's Public Information team since March 2011. arsenals disappeared forever. Well, sorry divide woke up to a more hopeful future.
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CTBTO SPECTRUM 19 | September 2012 COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN TREATY: sciencE AND Technology 2 13CONFERENCE
themes: 1 The Earth as a Complex System 2 Events and their Characterization 3 Advances in Sensors, Networks & Processing 17–21 JUNE Hofburg Palace Vienna, Austria
Call for Papers ctbto.org/st2013 Closing Date: 1 February 2013 #SnT2013 Editor-in-Chief: Annika Thunborg, Spokesperson and Chief of Public Information
Prepared, coordinated and edited by: Denise Brettschneider
CTBTO contributors: Kadircan Aktas, Matthias Auer, Mina Faraj, Krzysztof Kolasinski, Angela Leuker, Awoba Macheiner, Michèle Marti, Kiel Mathews, Thomas Muetzelburg, Svetlana Nikolova, Mark Prior
Layout and Design: Todd Vincent
Distribution: Pablo Mehlhorn published by: Public Information
Photographs and illustrations are at the courtesy of the authors Preparatory Commission for the and the Provisional Technical Secretariat. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Please visit www.ctbto.org Vienna International Centre Your resource P.O. Box 1200 for stopping nuclear testing 1400 Vienna, Austria
T +43 1 26030 6200 Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles by external contributors do not F +43 1 26030 5823 necessarily reflect the positions and policies of the CTBTO Preparatory E [email protected] Commission. I www.ctbto.org The boundaries and presentation of material on maps do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the Provisional Technical Printed in Austria, September 2012 Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or on Munken Lynx Paper area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or © 2012 CTBTO Preparatory Commission wood and acid-free, boundaries. CTBTO Spectrum – ISSN: 1680-533X certified by the Forest Stewardship Council Reykjavik a play by Richard Rhodes
Reykjavik re-enacts the Reykjavik summit in Panel discussion: October 1986 when U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail A video message by former President Gorbachev came close to abolishing all Mikhail Gorbachev nuclear weapons. More than 25 years later, Panellists: the drama of the meeting and its potential to Morton Halperin fundamentally change the course of history Former presidential advisor continues to ignite the imagination and inspire hopes for the future. Max Kampelman Reagan’s chief negotiator A staged reading of Reykjavik will take place in New York in September 2012, Roald Sagdeev followed by a panel discussion: 25 years since Gorbachev’s science advisor Reykjavik – will we get it right in the next Philip Taubman (moderator) 25? Panellists will consider lessons learned, Former New York Times journalist opportunities missed and what is needed today to move forward in eliminating Richard Rhodes nuclear weapons. Pulitzer Prize-winning author
This event has been made possible by the generous financial contributions of the Government of Japan, which is sponsoring the panel discussion, the Governments of Australia, Kazakhstan, Mexico and Sweden, and the Ploughshares Fund, as well as the assistance of UNODA and UNDPI.
Höfði House in Reykjavik, Iceland was the venue for the 1986 summit between President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev.
More information is available at ctbto.org/reykjavik Twitter: #ReykjavikPlay