SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY
CLINTON'S REMARKS AT CTBT ARTICLE XIV CONFERENCE NEW YORK, NY
SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
Thank you for your warm welcome. I am
delighted to be here on behalf of the United States. It has been a
long time since our government was represented at this conference. We
are glad to be back.
Earlier today, President Obama chaired a
special session of the Security Council to adopt a resolution
outlining comprehensive steps to strengthen the nuclear
non-proliferation regime. This is part of a deliberative, ongoing
effort by the Obama Administration to enhance our common security
while moving us closer to the vision the President outlined in Prague:
a world without nuclear weapons.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is
an integral part of our non-proliferation and arms control agenda, and
we will work in the months ahead both to seek the advice and consent
of the United States Senate to ratify the treaty and to secure
ratification by others so that the treaty can enter into force.
We believe that the CTBT contributes to our
global non-proliferation and disarmament strategy as well as the
President’s long-range vision. It does so without jeopardizing the
safety, security, or credibility of our nuclear arsenal. By pursuing
these goals and supporting the CTBT, we are working in the interest of
all nations committed to non-proliferation and to reducing the threat
of nuclear attack.
The Obama Administration has already begun
the work necessary to support U.S. ratification of the Treaty. We know
this task will not be quick or easy. But as long as we are confronted
with the prospect of nuclear testing by others, we will face the
potential threat of newer, more powerful, and more sophisticated
weapons that could cause damage beyond our imagination. A test ban
treaty that has entered into force will permit the United States and
others to challenge states engaged in suspicious testing activities
—including the option of calling on-site inspections to be sure that
no testing occurs on land, underground, underwater, or in space. CTBT
ratification would also encourage the international community to move
forward with other essential non-proliferation steps.
To put it plainly, we support this treaty
because it strengthens the prospect of a peaceful, stable, and secure
world and would enhance the security of the American people.
As we work with the Senate to ratify the
CTBT, we will encourage other countries to play their part—including
the eight remaining Annex 2 countries. Those who haven’t signed should
sign. Those, like us, who haven’t ratified, should ratify. And the 149
countries that have already progressed to ratification can use this
opportunity to continue preparations for CTBT implementation.
Even in these times of strained budgets, we
are prepared to pay our share of the Preparatory Commission budget so
that the global verification regime will be fully operational when the
CTBT enters into force.
More than eighty percent of the monitoring
stations that will constitute the International Monitoring System have
already been installed and we urge all host countries to ensure that
the data from these installations are reported to the International
Data Center. In the coming months, we will look for new ways to
support the monitoring system —including upgrades to the system and
other verification capabilities of the CTBT—with the help of all
nations, including those who have yet to ratify.
President Obama and I applaud Indonesian
Foreign Minister Wirajuda[wee-rah-HOO-da]’s recent pledge that his
country will move forward with ratification once we have done so. We
look forward to similar statements from the remaining Annex 2 nations,
while recognizing that today’s Article XIV Conference provides an
opportunity for all of us to pledge our support for the Treaty,
reaffirm our commitment to the verification regime, and demonstrate
the importance of this treaty to reducing the threat and role of
nuclear weapons.
It will take our collective effort to
develop a comprehensive, diplomatic strategy that lays the groundwork
for eventual entry into force.
I am pleased that Under Secretary of State
Ellen Tauscher will hold consultations with her many counterparts at
this conference to discuss diplomatic efforts to move the process
forward
Mr. Chairman, after a ten year absence from
this conference, America stands ready to renew its leadership role in
the non-proliferation regime. As President Obama said yesterday, we
have a shared responsibility for a global response to global
challenges. We come to this conference with an optimistic spirit that
all parties can make a contribution towards a world without nuclear
weapons. That is the promise of the CTBT, and it is why we are
rededicating ourselves to this effort
Thank You. |