U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made a new call Friday for the last countries that have not yet ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to let it enter into force. “Any country opposed to signing or ratifying it is simply failing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the international community,” Ban said. “It is irresponsible to see this treaty still waiting to come into effect 15 years after it was opened for signature.” “I urge all governments that have not yet signed or ratified this treaty to immediately do so,” Ban said. “I especially call for action by the countries whose ratification is essential for the treaty to enter into force.” “The family of CTBT member states has grown to 182, 157 of which have ratified. The network has grown, station by station,” Tibor Toth, the head of the Vienna-based CTBT Organization, said Friday. Ban added, “Now we have only eight countries [remaining], and I am ready to meet all these leaders and if necessary travel with Ambassador Tibor Toth to those eight countries who are still reluctant or may have doubts about the ratification of this treaty.”
