Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT WITH REGARD TO THE VISIT OF AMBASSADOR WOLFGANG HOFFMANN, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY ORGANIZATION (CTBTO)
Ambassador Wolfgang Hoffmann, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) will visit South Africa from 12 - 17 August 1999. Ambassador Hoffmann will meet with senior Government officials and roleplayers in the nuclear field to share information on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and acknowledge South Africa's role in the CTBTO process where the country is playing a leading role.
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 and was signed by South Africa on 24 September 1996. On 31 March this year, South Africa ratified the Treaty. South Africa has a proud record of activities in the short history of the Treaty and played an important role in the negotiations on the text thereof. The Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr JS Selebi, was elected as the first Chairman of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO while he was South Africa's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He held this position for the crucial first six months in which a solid foundation was laid to enable the full implementation of the Treaty.
Under Article 1 of the CTBT, each State party "undertakes not to carry out any nuclear-weapons test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control".
The need for a Treaty of this nature, was highlighted when India and Pakistan consecutively conducted nuclear tests during May 1998. Adoption of the CTBT by the international community means an end to nuclear tests globally and is a welcome umbrella in addition to the advances made on the African continent by the overwhelming support given to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone - the Pelindaba Treaty.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Pretoria
11 AUGUST 1999