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<title>CANADA TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY</title>
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<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2">September 23, 1998 No. 219</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">CANADA TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE </font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy announced today that Industry Minister John Manley tabled the
legislation which will give force of law to Canada's obligations as a signatory to the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) signed on September 24, 1996. The legislation, called the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Implementation Act, will allow Canada to maintain its leadership on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament issues by being among the first to ratify the Treaty.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty establishes a global norm against nuclear testing for all
nations, even those that may not immediately join," said Mr. Axworthy. "As a strong advocate of the
treaty, Canada is contributing monitoring stations and a laboratory, and will play an important role the
treaty's International Monitoring System."</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The Treaty recognizes that halting all nuclear weapon test explosions and all other nuclear explosions
constitutes an effective measure of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation by stopping the development
and improvement of nuclear weapons through testing.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The Act authorizes the federal departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Natural Resources
Canada and Health Canada to carry out tasks required under the Treaty. The Act also prohibits persons from
causing, encouraging or participating in a nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion
for purposes of developing nuclear weapons. In addition, the Act requires the reporting of chemical
explosions with 300 tons or more of TNT-equivalent blasting material -- a magnitude which could be confused
with a nuclear explosion.</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Courier">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">A backgrounder is attached.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Debora Brown</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1851</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+1">Backgrounder</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+1">CANADA'S RATIFICATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+1"> NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY</font><font face="Times New Roman"><strong> </strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"><strong>Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) signed by Canada on September 24, 1996, recognizes that
halting all nuclear weapons test explosions is an effective measure of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. It is effective because it constrains the development and improvement of nuclear weapons.
The Treaty's International Monitoring System (IMS) will be capable of detecting any nuclear explosion in
the atmosphere, underwater or underground, anywhere on earth. Under the IMS, an international network of
321 monitoring stations and 16 laboratories will continuously measure shock waves in air, water and rock,
and measure changes in atmospheric radioactivity using four relevant monitoring technologies -- seismic,
hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide. Each monitoring station will continuously transmit data back
to the International Data Centre in Vienna for collation, analysis and interpretation. Once the Treaty
enters into force, each State that is party to the Treaty will have the right to request an on-site
inspection on the territory of another State Party to establish whether a suspicious event was a nuclear
explosion.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"><strong>Canada's Contribution</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Canada has established a National Authority with overall responsibility for implementing Canadian
obligations under the Treaty. Canada, as a signatory and a major advocate of the Treaty, will play an
important role in the IMS and is contributing 15 stations, including seismic, radionuclide, infrasound and
hydroacoustic stations, and one radionuclide laboratory. The Geological Survey of Canada of Natural
Resources Canada, by virtue of its expertise, is host for the seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound
technologies. The Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada is host for radionuclide monitoring and
assessment technology. Environment Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service, available through the
Canadian Meteorological Centre, will provide relevant atmospheric data to Health Canada.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"><strong>Provisions Under the Act</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The Treaty requires that ratifying states are to take appropriate measures to ban activities that are
prohibited by the Treaty. The Act, therefore, establishes that any person causing, encouraging or
participating in carrying out a nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion in
contravention of Treaty terms could be subject to a term of imprisonment for life. The Treaty also
requires that a person who has carried out or has caused to carry out a chemical or mining explosion using
300 tons or more of TNT-equivalent blasting material shall give notice of it to the National Authority. A
reporting mechanism has been established in consultation with industry, provinces and territories.
Already, industry representatives have voluntarily started to provide data stipulated by the Treaty to the
National Authority.</font></p>
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