ctbto Spectrum

and ratified the CTBT or agreed to anequivalent legal instrument.The global norm against testingremains strong, for now. Yet the absenceof CTBT entry into force also meansthat the full range of verification andmonitoring tools, confidence buildingmeasures, and the option of on-siteinspections, are not available to helpstrengthen the international community’sability to detect, deter, and if necessaryrespond to possible nuclear testing.Moving forward – prospects ofratification by the U.S. SenateTo begin to break the ratification logjamand pave the way for entry into force,leaders in key States must make the rightchoices in three key areas.First, it is essential that the nextoccupant of the White House buildsupon growing bipartisan calls forU.S. reconsideration of the CTBT andinitiates a serious effort to engagethe new Senate on the issue with thegoal of winning two-thirds support forratification by the end of 2010.Notes & quotesMost notably, former RepublicanSecretaries of State, George Shultz andHenry Kissinger, former DemocraticSecretary of Defense, Bill Perry, andretired Democratic Senator, Sam Nunn,have called for a bipartisan push to ratifythe CTBT as a key step toward a nuclearweapon-freeworld.U.S. presidential candidates stressimportance of nuclear test banMost importantly, the two major U.S.presidential candidates have both stressedthe importance of a nuclear test ban.Democratic nominee, Senator BarackObama, has repeatedly expressed supportfor the CTBT. He said on 16 July 2008 that“…we’ll work with the Senate to ratify theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty and thenseek its earliest possible entry into force.”Republican presidential nominee,Senator John McCain, who voted againstthe Treaty in 1999, said in a speech on27 May 2008 that, if elected, he would“begin a dialogue with our allies, and withthe U.S. Senate, to identify ways we canmove forward to limit testing in a verifiablemanner that does not undermine the securityor viability of our nuclear deterrent. Thiswould include taking another look at theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty to see whatcan be done to overcome the shortcomingsthat prevented it from entering into force.”Whether McCain is interested in some newBiographical noteDaryl G. Kimballis the ExecutiveDirector of theArms ControlAssociation(ACA) inWashington DC.He previouslyworked atPhysiciansfor SocialResponsibility, which lobbied for theU.S. nuclear test moratorium legislationof 1992. He also served as Directorof the Coalition to Reduce NuclearDangers, which led NGO efforts to winsupport for U.S. CTBT ratification. ■“Today, eight nations in the world have declared they have conducted nucleartests. I am proposing to the international community an action plan to which Icall on the nuclear powers to resolutely commit by the 2010 NPT Conference.Thus I invite all countries to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,beginning with China and the United States, who signed it in 1996. It is timefor it to be ratified.”Speech by French President Nicolas Sarkozy,in Cherbourg, France, on 21 March 2008.continues on page 28C T B T O S p e c t r u m 1 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8Pa g e 1 3