I would like to thank you, Mr President and distinguished colleagues, for giving NGOs this opportunity to put forward our views and recommendations. We were delighted to see Mexico assume the presidency of this important gathering, as NGOs have long appreciated your commitment to working with civil society to ban nuclear testing and nuclear weapons. We wish this Conference every success and look forward to working with all your governments on the next steps to facilitate the entry into force of the CTBT and make further progress towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.

We deplore the appalling attacks of September 11 and believe that the international community must work together on all levels to prevent future terrorism. We must also work together to avoid an escalation of violence involving chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The CTBT is part of our global efforts to reduce such dangers, and all states should recognise that action on the CTBT and other disarmament initiatives is all the more important.

We owe it to those who were killed, bereaved and injured - and indeed, to the people harmed by years of nuclear testing and production - to take all possible measures to prevent even worse tragedies in the future. The states presently resisting the CTBT are undermining their own security as well as the security of the entire world.

The CTBT was brought about through the hard work and determination of NGOs and millions of ordinary people around the world. In all these years, the NGO community has not faltered in its advocacy for a test ban treaty. People throughout the world understood that ending nuclear testing was essential for two powerful reasons: to halt the spiraling arms race; and to prevent further devastation of human health and the global environment, already contaminated from decades of atmospheric and underground explosions.

Entry into force of the CTBT is within reach. But as a result of the actions of a handful of states, our long road to secure a total ban on nuclear tests is in jeopardy.

A ban on testing is an essential step towards nuclear disarmament. It helps block dangerous nuclear competition and new nuclear threats from emerging. However, technological advances in nuclear weapons research and development mean that a ban on nuclear test explosions by itself cannot prevent some qualitative improvements of nuclear arsenals.

Continued efforts to improve nuclear arsenals and to make nuclear weapons more useable in warfare will jeopardise the stability of the test ban and non-proliferation regimes. We call upon all states possessing nuclear weapons to halt immediately all qualitative improvements in their nuclear armaments, especially those which provide new or enhanced military capabilities, whether or not these improvements require nuclear explosive tests.

The CTBT establishes a far-reaching global monitoring, verification, and confidence building system capable of detecting
nuclear explosions and deterring potential treaty violators. We urge signatories to provide the necessary financial, political and technical support to enable the verification system to become fully implemented.

We believe that security would be enhanced if all states possessing nuclear weapons engaged in confidence-building processes, including transparency measures at nuclear test sites. In this regard, we note with interest the Russian proposal for mutual confidence-building measures with the United States.

Despite overwhelming international support for the CTBT, 13 key states have not yet signed and/or ratified, unnecessarily delaying entry into force. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, and Pakistan must sign and ratify the CTBT. Algeria, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, the United States, and Viet Nam must now ratify, without further procrastination. The longer these states wait to join the Treaty, the greater the chance that some nation may begin testing and set off a dangerous international action?reaction cycle of military and nuclear confrontation. It is vital that the moratorium on nuclear testing be maintained.

This conference needs to send out a strong message to the remaining 13 states and urge their prompt signature and ratification without conditions or reservations. The world will otherwise hold these countries responsible for undermining international security, and the non-proliferation and disarmament aspirations of their peoples.

We recall the international community's deep disappointment in October 1999, when the US Senate rejected the CTBT. We are increasingly concerned about the policies of President Bush, who has indicated that he would not even seek Senate approval for ratification. In November 2001, the United States alone voted against keeping the CTBT on the UN agenda. Washington has also announced that it will not participate in non?IMS activities by the CTBTO, including preparations for on-site inspections. Such policies undermine collective efforts to establish international security under the rule of law and to curb proliferation.

Other governments, including those of China, India and Pakistan, have also failed to demonstrate the leadership and courage necessary to secure a political consensus within their countries for accession to this important Treaty. Failure by another state should not serve as an excuse for any governments to withhold signature and ratification.

We are profoundly disappointed with the countries that have failed to attend this conference, especially those states whose signature or ratification are essential for entry into force.

This conference should commit its participants to condemn any future testing and call upon governments, businesses and people from around the world to respond to any future test by withholding military sales, trade and other business support from the testing countries.

We also urge the conference and committed governments to send high-level groups of emissaries to the 13 hold-out states and to press for their signature and ratification at every opportunity, including discussions on combating terrorism.

This presentation is based on the longer statement being circulated, which was prepared and supported by NGOs who have worked for a comprehensive test ban treaty for many years, in many countries, in many ways. On behalf of the world's citizens, we urge you to do all that is within your power to ensure that the Treaty is fully implemented, without further delay. Seize the chance now to end nuclear testing forever, as an indispensable step towards eliminating nuclear threats and preventing nuclear war.