09/24/2026
Thirty years ago in September 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature. The CTBT bans all nuclear test explosions everywhere, by everyone, and for all time. Adherence to the Treaty is almost universal - 179 states have joined, while 188 states are signatories to it. However, to enter into force, the CTBT must be ratified by all 44 States listed in its Annex 2, for which nine ratifications are still required ... China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia* and USA.
has a devastating ongoing impact in the Pacific, due to more than 300 full scale nuclear bomb detonations by Britain, France and the US ( https://www.facebook.com/PeaceMovementAotearoa/posts/1529938242496636 ), and the most recent state to join the CTBT was in July 2026 ( https://www.facebook.com/PeaceMovementAotearoa/posts/1484324320391362 ) when it became the 179th state party to it, completing universalisation of the Treaty across the Pacific.
There are three more Pacific states party to the CTBT than there are to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , with Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, and Marshall Islands yet to join the latter.
As Robert Floyd, The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Executive Secretary, said earlier this month: “This is our Treaty’s 30th birthday month! Birthdays make you think … In the year I turned 30 (some time ago!) there were 47 nuclear weapons tests. Almost one a week. In our previous century? Over 2000 tests. This century? Just a handful. What a change for the better. Has any other Treaty had such dramatic and unqualified success?”
* Russia ratified the CTBT in 2000, but revoked its ratification in 2023 because the US had not joined.
👉🏼 Find out more about the treaty and its monitoring organisation, The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization at https://www.ctbto.org/
👉🏼 The list of Pacific states who have joined the TPNW is available on the ICAN Aotearoa site, https://www.icanw.org.nz (if the click link doesn't work, please copy and paste the url into your browser)
for all harmed by for a Pax Christi Aotearoa Pacific Conference of Churches Pacific Network on Globalisation Quakers in Nelson Labrats DIVA for Equality FIJI National Nuclear Commission, Republic of the Marshall Islands Marshallese Educational Initiative Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese Marshall Islands Student Association - FIJI Moruroa e tatou 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝟏𝟗𝟑 ICAN France - Campagne Internationale pour Abolir les A***s Nucléaires CND Cymru Ètārētia Porotetani Māòhi OPANAL Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Suva Scottish CND
