Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty marks 30 years since UN adoption

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 10, 1996. While the treaty remains functional and signatory states are compliant, it has not yet officially entered into force.

The negotiation process, which began in January 1994 following a UN mandate, was an unusual departure from the standard practice of adopting treaties through the Conference on Disarmament (CD) due to the CD's consensus rule. The negotiations progressed during a period of significant nuclear disarmament efforts, including the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and arms control agreements between the United States and Russia.

Historically, the CTBT sought to end all nuclear testing, building upon the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which prohibited testing above-ground, underwater, and in space. While several nuclear-armed nations established moratoriums or ceased testing, the CTBT negotiations faced challenges from countries such as China and France, which indicated a need for final tests to gather sufficient data before ceasing operations.