A WORLDWIDE AND COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN THE ROLE OF NON-NUCLEAR-WEAPON STATES Randy Rydell Ph. D. UN Department for Disarmament Affairs Statement at the Organization of American States Committee on Hemispheric Security 15 March 2007 THE ROLE OF NON-NUCLEAR-WEAPON STATES Randy Rydell Ph. D. UN Department for Disarmament Affairs Statement at the Organization of American States Committee on Hemispheric Security 15 March 2007

NUCLEAR WEAPONS … un atentado a la integridad de la especie humana y aún pueden tornar finalmente toda la Tierra inhabitable. Preamble, Treaty of Tlatelolco

The Nuclear Weapon Challenge More than Falling into the Wrong Hands The mere existence of nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to all humanity … Resolved, in Santiago de Chile Declaration (Opanal General Conference, 2005) WMD (Blix) Commission, 2006

MEETING THE CHALLENGE Technical -- verification, irreversibility Economic -- dismantling and disposal Military -- security without the bomb Political -- networks in and among states

NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW First UNGA Resolution (1946) Countless UNGA resolutions to follow 5 NWFZ treaties NPT 1996 ICJ Advisory Opinion NPT: 1995 and 2000 Commitments

INTERNATIONAL LAW AND NUCLEAR TESTS Goal found in a dozen global treaties: CTBT and PTBT NPT -- part of 1995 package deal 5 NWFZ treaties Antarctic and Seabed treaties Moon and Outer Space treaties UNGA resolutions, recently Res. 61/104 Adopted by vote of (2006)

Goals of a CTBT SHORT TERM: ban all nuclear tests MEDIUM TERM: nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation LONG TERM: General and Complete Disarmament

BENEFITS OF A CTBT Prevent vertical proliferation Reinforce norm against possession Advance non-proliferation goals Environment, health, and safety

Building on Tlatelolco Pelindaba and Semipalatinsk: entry into force Universal regional membership P5 ratification of Protocols Promote new zones: Southern Hemisphere, Middle East, South Asia, Northeast Asia Explore WMD-free zone concept

Progress on WMD-free Zones Long-standing goal in the Middle East, recognized by all states We declare our objective to make the Americas a region free of biological and chemical weapons. - Declaration on Security in the Americas (2003) A model WMD-free zone treaty? Keep the nuclear disarmament priority, and coordinate with international WMD regimes.

Coordinated efforts needed on many levels Unilateral Bilateral Plurilateral Regional Multilateral/global

Importance of Expanding Participation Parliamentarians, mayors, governors Networking among diverse NGOs Expanded support from foundations Coordinated action in multilateral fora High-level policy statements Education and training

Conclusion Security is strengthened when we deepen its human dimension. Declaration on Security in the Americas (2003) Freeing the world from WMD requires sustained efforts at all political levels -- grassroots to global The OAS has shown how regional action can advance global norms -- a strong foundation for meeting the WMD challenges ahead.