MEXICO WELCOMES CHAD’S RATIFICATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN TREATY

• Mexico is committed to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Mexican government welcomes the Republic of Chad’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on February 8, 2013. This represents an important step towards universality for the treaty.

Chad’s ratification further strengthens the norm that stigmatizes and prohibits nuclear tests in order to avoid the proliferation of nuclear arsenals and the modernization of those already in existence, thereby contributing to international peace and security.

In the African region, ten of the 51 countries there have still not ratified the treaty (Angola, Comoros, Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland and Zimbabwe). Of those, only Egypt is an Annex II country whose ratification is required for the treaty to enter into force.

Mexico has actively supported a ban on nuclear tests. Together with Sweden, Mexico has co-chaired the Article XIV Conference for the treaty’s entry into force since September 2011, reinforcing its commitment to achieving a nuclear-weapons-free world.

The CTBT seeks to ban nuclear tests, an essential step in the progress towards a nuclear-weapons-free world. Although 159 countries have acceded to the treaty, it has not entered into force because it needs the ratification and/or signature of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.

As part of its commitment to general and complete disarmament and in order to achieve a sustainable peace, Mexico continues to urge all States that have not yet acceded to the treaty to do so as soon as possible and to refrain from conducting nuclear tests and all acts that would defeat the goal and purpose of the CTBT.