What is the Full form of CTBT?
The full form of CTBT is the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. CTBT is a multilateral agreement prohibiting all bursts of nuclear testing and any military or civil atomic explosions. The treaty was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations and released for a sign on September 24, 1996. One hundred eighty-two countries ratify the deal. As of 2016, the last country to sign the agreement has been Tobago & Trinidad.
A brief history of CTBT
- Around 1945 and 1996, more than 2000 nuclear tests were carried out by various nations, before the CTBT was implemented.
- More than 1000 nuclear tests were carried out in the US.
- More than 700 nuclear tests were carried out by the Soviet Union.
- France has carried out over than 200 nuclear experiments.
- The UK and China have both performed 45 nuclear tests.
- Three countries had carried out nuclear tests since 1996: India and Pakistan in 1998 and North Korea in 2006 and 2009.
- The treaty is still not in effect since 44 nations have not signed the treaty.
- India, Pakistan, China, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, the US, North Korea and Israel are the nine countries that did not ratify the agreement.
- Out of nine nations, it has not yet been signed by India, North Korea and Pakistan.
Difference between ratifying and signing of CTBT
| Signing CTBT | Ratifying CTBT |
| When a nation signs the treaty, this means the country recognizes the treaty and therefore will refuse to act against the treaty’s objectives. | When a country ratifies the treaty, this means it is formally accepted to make it a legally binding contract for the nation’s government. |
| It is signed by a country’s senior government official like a president, PM, foreign minister and so on. | The treaty is accepted in this phase by the nation’s legislature, as the parliament. The instrument of ratification is then given to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. |
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