The Executive Secretary of the organisation, Dr Robert Floyd, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen during a recent regional workshop for African States Signatories held in Banjul, The Gambia.
CTBT is a multilateral agreement that came into effect in September 1996 and has since been signed on by 187 nations and ratified by 178 to prohibit nuclear weapons tests anywhere in the world.
Floyd said, “The countries of the world agree it will be best we live in a world without nuclear weapons, and to have an effective ban on nuclear testing is one step towards this goal.”
He praised African states for their commitment to abstinence from nuclear weapons tests, saying the organisation will work closely with other countries to facilitate their signature and ratification.
He added that CTBTO will provide more information to help the countries benefit from Treaty membership.
“It is clear there is a strong view that nuclear tests should not happen again, and I believe the reason is because of the history of nuclear testing that has taken place in the African continent,” said the Executive Secretary.
“This is due to the damage it has caused to the environment and human health, and the African states have determined to ensure that this never happens again.
“We are happy to work collectively with African nations to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear testing and fully achieve these goals.
“In 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature. Before that date, there were over 2,000 nuclear tests.
“Since then, nearly 28 years later, fewer than 12 nuclear tests have taken place, with only one state, North Korea, conducting any in this century.”
He also explained that the science behind this is the CTBTO’s verification regime, which monitors the planet 24 hours a day to ensure no test goes undetected.
“As a result, we now live in a safer and more secure world,” he said.
In the area of building capacity, Dr Floyd highlighted that countries such as Nigeria should have National Data Centres (NDC) to access data gathered by stations and laboratories worldwide.
“All data coming to Vienna is shared freely with all Member States, including Nigeria. We will work with Nigeria to train the technical staff on receiving, analyzing, and interpreting this data.
“This data also has numerous civil and scientific applications, such as detecting earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, and it can also be used for climate change research.
“So, this is where the capacity building comes into play. People across each of our member states have the opportunity to be trained in these skills.
“It is remarkable that 50 out of the 54 African countries have ratified the treaty, and 52 of the 54 countries have signed it.
“I see Africa coming together as one, supporting one another and working together with the international community for a world without nuclear weapons tests and nuclear weapons as a shared future,” he said.
