Vienna is the headquarters of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which was established by the States Signatories to the Treaty on 19 November 1996. The CTBT was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 10, 1996 and was opened for signature on September 24, 1996. Its objective is to prevent the further testing of nuclear weapons. The scope of the prohibition for States Parties extends to any nuclear explosion, anywhere and forever, since there is no duration article in the Treaty.

Ukraine signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 27 September 1996, ratified on 16 November 2000. On 23 February 2001 Ukraine deposited its instrument of ratification with the General Secretary of the United Nations.

The Treaty will enter into force 180 days after all Forty-four States (including Ukraine) that possess nuclear power or research reactors have ratified it. To date, 33 of 44 States ratified the Treaty.

To ensure compliance with the CTBT, a verification system is currently being constructed. It will consist of 321 monitoring stations and 16 radionuclide laboratories capable to detect possible nuclear explosions and to send data continuously and in real time to an International Data Center in Vienna. As a whole, verification system including On-Site Inspection regime should be ready for operation by the time the Treaty enters into force.

Ukraine has concluded a Facility Agreement with the CTBTO Preparatory Commission to deploy on its territory one seismological station (Malyn) with communication link - National Data Center (Makariv). Both facilities are being deployed within the CTBTO's International Monitoring System and International Data Centre network.

Necessary preparations for the effective implementation of the Treaty are carried out by the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, an international organization established by the States Signatories to the Treaty on 19 November 1996. The Preparatory Commission consists of a plenary body composed of all the States Signatories, and the Provisional Technical Secretariat.

The importance of the earliest entry into force of the Treaty, to be a barrier to further upgrading of nuclear weapons, can hardly be overestimated. Having ratified the Treaty, Ukraine substantially contributed to the process of nuclear disarmament and reaffirmed its unconditional support for the NPT.

Ukraine plays an active role in works of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and serves as coordinator in region of the Eastern Europe to promote activities enhancing the entry into force of the Treaty. In 2005 Ukraine will also exercise functions of the Vice-Chairman of the Commission. Annually Ukraine contributes 0,040% of the regular budget of the Commission (17,016 Euro plus 19,109 US$ in 2005).

For more information about the CTBTO please visit their website or contact the Secretariat:

      CTBTO Preparatory Commission,
      Vienna International Centre,
      P.O. Box 1200, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
      Web site: www.ctbto.org