Vienna: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) has reiterated the need for stronger global commitment to sustaining efforts aimed at ending nuclear weapons testing. The Executive Secretary of the CTBTO, Mr. Robert Floyd, emphasized this in a statement issued by the organisation’s Senior Public Information Officer, Ms. Sanam Shantyaei, ahead of the 2026 International Day Against Nuclear Tests (IDANT), observed annually on August 29.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the UN General Assembly, during its 64th Session on December 2, 2009, unanimously proclaimed the day to raise awareness and educate the public on the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions. The resolution promotes the prohibition of nuclear testing as a means to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world. Floyd highlighted that nuclear weapons are a global challenge, with consequences extending beyond national borders. He urged intensified efforts to ensure the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) comes into force and maintains its place within the international security architecture.
Floyd appealed to states whose ratification is required for the Treaty to enter into force to act promptly and complete the necessary processes. He stressed the importance of a shared commitment among states, including those with nuclear weapons, to sustain systems that build trust. Floyd described the recent openness of some governments about resuming nuclear testing as a serious concern and called for sustained political and financial support for the CTBT verification regime.
The executive secretary pointed out that the CTBT has been open for signature for nearly 30 years, with 2026 marking 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Floyd noted the existing agreement and infrastructure as proof of what can be achieved when taken seriously, emphasizing that the next 30 years depend on governments’ choices regarding the world they wish to leave behind.
Floyd also expressed concern that the risks of nuclear war do not stem from a single decision but accumulate over time through repeated testing and arms development. He highlighted the lasting impact of nuclear weapon tests on land, water, and communities near test sites. The International Day Against Nuclear Tests exists because these dangers remain part of shared history, and governments still face the same choice annually.
Floyd expressed confidence in the International Monitoring System (IMS) established under the Treaty’s verification regime, capable of detecting explosions equivalent to 500 tonnes of TNT, approximately three percent of the explosive yield of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. NAN reports that the CTBTO’s 179 ratifying states continue to support efforts toward the Treaty’s entry into force and the completion of the International Monitoring System, which consists of 337 monitoring facilities worldwide and is over 90 percent complete. With 309 certified facilities transmitting data to CTBTO headquarters in Vienna, the monitoring network is designed to ensure no nuclear explosion escapes detection, thereby strengthening global security and confidence in nuclear non-proliferation efforts.