Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization facts for kids

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is an international group. It will officially start when the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty becomes law. This treaty makes it illegal for countries to test nuclear weapons. The CTBTO's main job will be to check that no country is doing nuclear tests. It will use a special monitoring system around the world and can even send inspectors to places if needed. The group that is setting all this up, called the Preparatory Commission, began in 1997. Both are based in Vienna, Austria.

When the Treaty Starts

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty will become active 180 days after 44 specific countries agree to it. These 44 countries are listed in the treaty because they have nuclear reactors or advanced nuclear technology. As of November 2023, 41 of these countries have signed the treaty. 35 of them have also officially agreed to it (ratified it).

Some countries have not yet signed or agreed to the treaty. These include India, North Korea, and Pakistan. Other countries like China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and the United States have signed it but have not yet officially agreed. Russia signed and agreed to the treaty, but later changed its mind before the treaty could start.

Getting Ready for the Treaty

The Preparatory Commission started in 1997. Its job is to get everything ready for the treaty to work well. This means setting up the system that will check for nuclear tests. A big part of this is building and running the International Monitoring System (IMS). This system has 337 stations around the world. It also includes a main data center and a global communication network. The Commission also writes guides on how to do inspections.

How the World is Monitored

A station in Germany that checks for radioactive particles in the air.

The International Monitoring System (IMS) will have different types of stations:

• 50 main and 120 extra seismic stations to detect ground movements.
• 11 hydro-acoustic stations to listen for sounds in the oceans.
• 60 infrasound stations to pick up very low-frequency sound waves in the air.
• 80 radionuclide stations to collect air samples. These samples help find radioactive particles from nuclear explosions.
• 16 radionuclide laboratories to test the samples from the radionuclide stations.

All the information from these stations goes to the CTBTO's International Data Centre in Vienna. This data travels through a special global network, mostly using satellite links. Countries that are part of the treaty can look at all this data. This helps them check for nuclear tests and can also be used for other peaceful purposes. As of 2023, about 90% of this monitoring system was already working.

Talking Things Out

Before asking for an inspection, countries are encouraged to talk things out. This is called Consultation and Clarification (C&C). If a country is worried about something, it should try to get answers. It can talk directly with the country where the event happened. Or, it can ask the CTBTO to help them talk.

Inspecting a Site

If the monitoring system (or other information) suggests a nuclear explosion might have happened, an On-Site Inspection (OSI) can be done. This inspection helps find out if a nuclear explosion really took place. An OSI can only happen after the treaty officially starts. At least 30 out of 51 members of the CTBTO's Executive Council must agree to it.

A team of up to 40 inspectors would search an area of up to 1000 square kilometers. Only countries that are part of the treaty can ask for an OSI.

During an OSI, inspectors use many tools. They can look for the exact spot of an event, observe things visually, and measure ground vibrations. They also check for radioactivity, like certain gases. This first part of the inspection can last up to 25 days. For up to 60 more days, they can use more advanced tools. These include special ground measurements and even drilling to get samples from a suspected underground explosion site. The CTBTO is always looking for new ways to use science and technology for these inspections.

Building Trust

Besides monitoring and inspections, the treaty also includes "Confidence-Building Measures." This means countries should tell the CTBTO if they plan to set off a very large chemical explosion. This is for explosions using 300 tonnes or more of blasting material. Giving this notice helps avoid misunderstandings. It also helps the monitoring stations work better by giving them data to compare.

See also

• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation Preparatory Commission
• Global Security Institute