ctbto Spectrum

importance. Through the ISS project, thismutually beneficial relationship between theCTBTO and the global scientific community isbeing developed and strengthened continuously.International interestS e i s m i c S tat i o n at J a n M ay e n , N o rwayOrganization (CTBTO) in its 2009calendar. Keynote addresses across relevantdisciplines, presentations, round-tablediscussions and poster sessions are envisagedat the conference. The conference resultswill be published in August 2009 and itscomprehensive findings could assist MemberStates in their assessment of the verifiabilityof the Treaty.Capacity buildingIt is the CTBTO Member States that areresponsible for making an assessmentof the data received from the CTBTO’sInternational Data Centre (IDC). As such,it is important for States to increase theirtechnical knowledge base, as well as developthe facilities needed to participate fully in theimplementation and monitoring of the Treaty.In maintaining and developing the CTBT asa global Treaty, the ISS project contributesto the capacity building potential of MemberStates.Civil and scientific benefitsThere are many potential applications of theCTBT’s verification data in addition to thosementioned earlier. These include research onocean processes and marine life; volcaniceruption monitoring for aviation safety; andresearch on the structure of the Earth, its oceansand the atmosphere. By rapidly acquiring anddisseminating data on earthquakes, especiallytsunami-generating earthquakes, seismic datacan also assist in disaster management andresponse efforts, thus helping to save lives.For CTBT verification data andtechnologies to be used most effectively forcivil and scientific purposes, the exchange ofideas needs to be encouraged. An on-goingdialogue with the scientific community helpsraise awareness about the considerable scientificand technological advances which are ofrelevance to the CTBT. An analysis of thesedevelopments in relation to the establishment ofthe Treaty’s verification regime is of immenseSeveral phases have been planned for the ISSproject leading up to the 2009 Conference.The Planning Meeting took place in March2008 and concluded the first phase of the ISSproject. Over 100 experts and officials from33 countries participated, reflecting the greatinterest generated by the project. The meetingdiscussed scientific work on eight topic areasthat were identified as relevant to the ISSstudies: system performance, seismology,hydroacoustics, infrasound, radionuclides,atmospheric transport modelling, on-siteinspections, and data mining.The ISS has now progressed beyondits planning phase. Scientific studies andresearch projects are currently beingundertaken by the participating scientificinstitutions. Several planned ISS-relatedworkshops and PTS activities will also feedinto the ISS process, including the findingsrelated to the On-Site Inspection IntegratedField Exercise (IFE08) that is taking placein September 2008, at Semipalatinsk,Kazakhstan (see article on page 14).The ISS project is an inclusive anddynamic process. It continues to remainopen to experts and institutions withrelevant interests in the Treaty’s verificationtechnologies. ■Yvonne Yew is a consultant with theCTBTO working on the ISS project. Priorto this, she was a career diplomat with theSingapore Foreign Service covering regionaland multilateral issues including theInternational Atomic Energy Agency’s Boardof Governors meetings from 2004 to 2006. ■C 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 2 3