BASlC NOTES

FOLLOWlNG THE COMPREHENSlVE TEST BAN TREATY - NEXT STEPS
23 SEPTEMBER 1996

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lMPLEMENTlNG NPT PRlNClPLES AND OBJECTIVES

· The completion of the CTBT is just one of the Principles and Objectives for nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament to which states committed themselves at the 1995 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Conference. In April 1997 the first NPT Preparatory Committee meeting will review progress on implementing the Principles and Objectives.

OTHER COMMlTMENTS IN THE NPT PRlNClPLES AND OBJECTlVES

· a "programme of action" on nuclear disarmament;

· "the immediate commencement and early conclusion" of a ban on fissile material production for nuclear weapons;

· "the determined pursuit by the nuclear-weapon states of systematic and progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally, with the ultimate goals of eliminating those weapons".

START III NEGOTlATlONS

· It is over three years since START II, was signed by Presidents Bush and Yeltsin, reducing their nuclear arsenals to a maximum of 3500 warheads each.

· There have been no strategic arms reduction talks under the Clinton Administration.

·The Clinton Administration's arguement that it will not agree to START III negotiations until START II is ratified by the Russian Duma is not consistent with previous practice - START II talks started immediately after START I was signed and over a year before it was ratified. A clear commitment to begin START III negotiations would help achieve START II ratification by the Russian Duma.

AD HOC COMMlTTEE ON NUCLEAR DlSARMAMENT

· Now that the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) has finished its work on the CTBT there is the opportunity for an Ad Hoc Committee on Nuclear Disarmament to be established as a forum for substantive discussions of nuclear disarmament issues in the CD with a view to finding issues that might be the subject of negotiations as and when possible.

· Such negotiations should be conducted in parallel with bilateral negotiations between the US and Russia or negotiations between the five nuclear-weapon states.

CTBT - FROM SlGNATURE TO ENTRY lNTO FORCE

· States signing the CTBT should show their support for the Treaty by making a clear commitment not to test in the future.

· Ratification by the nuclear-weapon states in 1997.

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