CANADA TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY

September 23, 1998 No. 219

CANADA TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE

NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY

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.

"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."

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.

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.

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A backgrounder is attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Debora Brown

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Backgrounder

CANADA'S RATIFICATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE

NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY

Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

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.

Canada's Contribution

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.

Provisions Under the Act

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.