UN / CTBT WRAP

In advance of a high-level meeting on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT), head of the Preparatory Commission for CTBT Organization Tibor Tóth says that an important step towards making sure the treaty enters into force will be when countries understand that "nuclear weapons are more a liability than an asset." UNTV / FILE

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:12
• Production Date: 23 September 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN TREATY ORGANIZATION - CTBTO
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• MAMS Id: U100923d

Description

STORY: UN / CTBT WRAP
TRT: 3:12
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 SEPTEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

23 SEPTEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization:
“We are nine ratifications away from the end station and the end station is the entry into force of this treaty. The nine countries are belonging to different regions in the world, of course, what is important ratification is ratification of the United States, of course China. We are looking forward to developments in the Middle East region – Israel, Iran, Egypt – they have signed but haven’t ratified still. There is good news coming, Indonesia is close to ratification.”

FILE - DATE UNKNOWN, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

3. Various shots, satellites on the roof of the Vienna International Centre
4. Wide shot, view to the city of Vienna with Vienna International Centre
5. Med shot, the CTBTO sign in a glass door, in which is written "Office of the Executive Secretary"

23 SEPTEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization:
“On the Indian subcontinent, we are waiting for India and Pakistan to think through from their perspective the benefits of this treaty. And North Korea is an outstanding country as well. The good news that we have is 153 countries which have already ratified so around 80 percent of the countries ratified the treaty and we have a system which is verifying the treaty and it is 80 percent ready as well.”

FILE - 28 MAY 1998, CHAGAI HILLS, PAKISTAN

7. Med shot, a waving Pakistani flag
8. Various shots, the Pakistani nuclear test, in the Chagai Hills

23 SEPTEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization:
“I think it’s up to them to think through. If former Secretaries of Defence, Secretaries of States who during their career in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s understood that nuclear weapons are more a liability than an asset. I think this is the type of thinking which have to happen in all of those nine countries. There are already why promising signs. We heard during the last two years important statements from the United States and Russian Federation, statements of the P5, statements of the Security Council, G20, what we have to do now is turn these visions into action.”
10. Various shots, CTBTO conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I have called for the international community to set the goal of bringing the Treaty into force by 2012. In the meantime, I urge all Governments to maintain existing moratoriums on nuclear weapon test explosions and to refrain from any action that would defeat the object of either the CTBT or the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
12. Cutaway, journalist

Storyline

A day before the 14th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT), head of the Preparatory Commission for CTBT Organization Tibor Tóth told UNifeed, in an exclusive interview, that “we are nine ratifications away” from the entry into force of this treaty.”

The CTBT opened for signature in 1996 and 14 years later it is approaching universal acceptance, supported by nearly all the countries of the world. From 195 sovereign nations, 182 have signed the Treaty. It has been ratified by 153 of them.

Tóth said that with 153 ratifications “around 80 percent of the countries have ratified the treaty.”

Later today foreign ministers of States belonging to the Treaty met at the UN in New York to promote its early entry into force. After the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the international community “to set the goal of bringing the Treaty into force by 2012.”

The Treaty was adopted in 1996 and requires the endorsement of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States to enter into force. Indonesia has announced that it intends to ratify in the fall.