Address 

by  

 

H.E. MR. Ferenc Somogyi

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs

 of the Republic of Hungary

 

at

the Fourth Conference

 on Facilitating the Entry into Force

 of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

 

September 21, 2005


 Mr. President,

 

May I congratulate you on assuming the post of the President of the 4th Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.  I wish you success in fulfilling your duties. Let me assure you of my delegation’s support and assistance.

 

Mr. President,

 

Hungary fully associates itself with the statement delivered earlier by the United Kingdom on behalf of the European Union.

 

CTBT was the result of several years of intensive negotiations in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament. The completion of those talks and the opening of the treaty for signature nine years ago demonstrated how the international community was able to seize a window of opportunity which had opened after the end of the Cold War. CTBT established the universal norm of banning nuclear test explosions. It constitutes an important measure of both nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

 

In these 9 years, however, fundamental changes have taken place in the international security environment. New challenges and threats have emerged, including the attempt by several states to acquire nuclear weapons or their components, in clear circumvention of international obligations. The risk that weapons of mass destruction fall into the hands of terrorist groups and other non-state actors also added to the urgency to strengthen international mechanisms aimed at halting and reversing these alarming trends. The current situation reinforces our conviction that CTBT is one of the major instruments to provide a basic framework for the international community to promote long-term disarmament and non-proliferation goals.

 

It is regrettable that in spite of the efforts of the great number of States represented at this Conference, the entry into force of CTBT still remains elusive and the treaty cannot yet yield all its potential security benefits. We join the call on all States, which have not yet ratified the treaty to do so without delay and preconditions. Hungary is listed among the Annex 2 States whose ratification is necessary for the CTBT to enter into force. Being aware of its special responsibilities, my country was among the first to sign and ratify the treaty. We urge the remaining 11 Annex 2 States to follow suit.

 

Hungary believes that the existing moratoria on nuclear test explosions are important measures, which must be maintained pending the CTBT’s entry into force. At the same time, we wish to emphasise that no moratorium can be a long-term alternative to ratification of the treaty.

 

Mr. President,

 

While expressing our concerns about the delay in the entry into force of CTBT, we also welcome the positive developments which had brought us closer to this goal over the last two years. The number of signatories has reached 176. 125 countries have already ratified the treaty. The implementation of the measures, adopted at the 2003 Conference have contributed significantly to this progress. We especially commend the activities of the Special Representative, Ambassador Jaap Ramaker and express our hope that he will be in a position to continue his efforts with the generous support of the Government of the Netherlands.

 

 

 

We should also register the progress made by the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO in establishing the International Monitoring System. Hungary welcomes these results, as they offer a realistic perspective of an effective verification regime being in place by the time the treaty enters into force. My Government highly appreciates the personal engagement and contribution of Ambassador Wolfgang Hoffman, the first Executive Secretary of this Organisation to the build-up of the verification system of the Treaty. As a fellow countryman, I am confident that his successor, Ambassador Tibor Tóth will build on these important achievements during his tenure as Executive Secretary.

 

The Preparatory Commission is undergoing important changes facilitating its more effective and efficient functioning. It also has to adapt itself to the changing expectations of the great majority of its membership. In light of recent major natural disasters, the issue of civilian and scientific application of the verification techniques has gained importance. While recognizing that the primary purpose of the monitoring system is to provide assurances against nuclear explosions, Hungary strongly advocates an increased involvement of the system in other fields, including disaster early warning. We are encouraged by the wide support for the future role of the Provisional Technical Secretariat in this field. We hope that the Preparatory Commission will make the political decision in the near future regarding the provision of data to the international tsunami warning centres.

 

In this context, I am pleased to announce that Hungary is ready to make a voluntary contribution to support the training of the staff of the National Data Centres in the countries most severely affected by the tsunami last December. We have begun discussions with the PTS on a project aimed at enabling those countries to participate in data sharing. The increased role of the Provisional Secretariat of the Preparatory Commission in the early warning of natural disasters would definitely raise awareness in the world. This role could indeed enhance the recognition of the CTBTO in public opinion, thus promoting the treaty’s entry into force.

 

Mr. President,

 

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Hungary’s commitment to the principles and objectives of the CTBT as a major instrument of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We stand ready to actively promote its entry into force and lend our support to upcoming international efforts to this end.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.