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GENEVA January, 1996 -- (GP) On 22 January, the latest round of talks to obtain a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) open in Geneva when the Conference on Disarmament resumes negotiations. Greenpeace says the overwhelming international outcry against French and Chinese nuclear tests in 1995 shows clearly that the world's wants an international ban to stop nuclear weapons testing this year.
France conducted it's fifth nuclear test of 1995 on 27 December and is expected to explode at least one more test early this year in the South Pacific. China also tested two nuclear weapons at its Lop Nor test site in 1995 and is also expected to continue testing in 1996. According to news reports, suspicions have been raised that India may conduct a nuclear test before a treaty goes into effect.
In all, the United States, Russia, France, Britain, China and India have conducted 2,043 nuclear tests since 1945. France and China are still testing nuclear weapons, and the threat remains that other nations may resume nuclear tests.
"The massive outrage expressed against French and Chinese testing shows the world public is demanding a treaty to end nuclear tests be negotiated now," said Greenpeace Disarmament Coordinator Joshua Handler. "The clock is ticking. The Geneva delegations have six months to reach agreement if a treaty is to be ready for signing in 1996."
A comprehensive test ban has been on the international disarmament agenda since the 1950s. In 1994, the Conference on Disarmament began negotiations on this treaty. At the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) extension conference in May 1995, nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states agreed that obtaining a CTBT as soon as possible was a high priority.
"There are still over 20,000 nuclear weapons in the world today, and new ones still being produced. A test ban treaty is needednow to end nuclear testing and as the critical next step toward further nuclear disarmament," said Handler.
At the end of the last negotiating session key issues that remained unresolved were: the lack of Russian and Chinese support for a zero-yield treaty, (one that would not allow nuclear explosions of any size), China's insistence on permitting nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes, and opposition by nuclear weapons states for further specific disarmament steps to be addressed in the treaty.
Greenpeace's priority for 1996, it's 25th anniversary year, is to see that a CTBT is signed this year. Greenpeace was founded in 1971 when a group of activists set sail for Alaska from Vancouver, Canada, to try to stop a U.S. nuclear weapons test on the Aleutian Islands.
Over the years, Greenpeace has held protests at the French, U.S., British, and Soviet nuclear test-sites, worked with the victims of U.S. nuclear testing in the South Pacific, sponsored scientific investigations on the environmental damage from nuclear testing, and attended NPT review conferences. During 1995, Greenpeace was a leader in the fight to stop French and Chinese nuclear testing.
Greenpeace's demands for the CTBT talks include:
Josh Handler, Greenpeace International: +1-202-319-2516
Simon Carroll, Greenpeace in Geneva: +
Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications: +44-171-833-0600
Editor's note:
The treaty is taking shape but much work remains to be done. There are four issues of importance that need to be resolved:
1. Preamble: A commitment to nuclear disarmament and elimination of nuclear weapons must be contained in the preamble. The nuclear weapons states are currently opposing having specific references to nuclear disarmament in the preamble.
2. Scope: The treaty must ban nuclear explosions of any sort for any purpose. China and Russia have not formally committed to a 0-yield treaty yet. In addition, China is seeking to exclude so-called peaceful nuclear explosions from the treaty.
3. Verification: needs to include a variety of methods, including on-site inspection.
4. Entry Into Force of the CTBT: rapid entry into force of the treaty should be provided for.