UN Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament

•  The UN Security Council approved a resolution urging quick global implementation of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban treaty that would ban tests of nuclear weapons.
• With 14 votes in favour and one abstention (Egypt), the resolution welcomed progress made towards universalization of the Treaty, noting that 183 States have signed the Treaty and 166 States have deposited their instruments of ratification.

Analysis:

• A very substantial step, to get a World in which there would be supremacy of five countries rather than a world free from nuclear weapon, was taken in June 1995 in Geneva to adopt the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
• The treaty contains a comprehensive plan to prohibit nuclear tests. The treaty comprised 154 countries and verified by 51 countries before a review conference was held in Vienna in October 1999.
• The ratification of America and China is required to get the treaty into force. But these countries have not yet ratified it. Russia signed the treaty on Sep 24, 1996 and ratified it on Jun 30, 2000. The 44 countries, including five nuclear powers are considered as having nuclear capability. And, In order for the CTBT to enter into force internationally, it must first be signed by all 44 nuclear-power countries - and must also be ratified within the respective political institutions of each one within a three- year time limit.
• Out of 44, 41 countries have signed it, while 26 countries have ratified it. As of March 2015, 164 states have ratified the treaty and 19 states have signed but not ratified it.
• India opposes the treaty on the ground that it doesn’t speak about destruction of existing nuclear stockpiles. According to the treaty, disarmament of the weapons would solely depend on the attitude of NWS(Nuclear-weapon states).
• Also, India’s growing security concerns about Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear weapons capability and the assistance that China has provided in this regard is one major reason why India chose to oppose CTBT in 1996.
• CTBT would not help towards nuclear disarmament since it only banned nuclear explosive testing, but not other activities related to nuclear weapons, such as sub-critical (non-nuclear explosive) experiments, or computer simulations.

By: Vishal