Group of “Eminent Persons” on CTBT

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 6 2013 (IPS) - A group of 20 “eminent persons” is being assigned the task of convincing eight countries to join the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The eight holdouts – China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States – have not given any indication of possible ratifications, leaving the treaty in limbo. Until these eight countries ratify the CTBT, the treaty will not come into force. The primary task of the new group is to get the eight on board.

The group  will be launched during the eighth ‘Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’,  scheduled to take place in New York on September 27.

Of the 20, 16 have been confirmed. The 16 include Prof. Nobuyasu Abe, former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament (Japan); Dr Hans Blix, IAEA Director-General Emeritus, former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden); Lord Browne of Ladyton, Chairman of the European Leadership Network, member of the House of Lords, former Defence Secretary (ELN, United Kingdom); Jayantha Dhanapala, Pugwash President, former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament (Sri Lanka); and Cristian Diaconescu, Adviser to the President (Romania);

Additionally, the group also includes Wolfgang Hoffmann, Executive Secretary Emeritus of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission (Germany); Lord Hutton of Furness, Member of the House of Lords, former Defence Secretary (United Kingdom); Igor Ivanov, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russian Federation); Dr Johannes Kyrle, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs (Austria); Ho-jin Lee, former Ambassador to Finland and Adjunct Professor in Diplomacy, Korea University (Republic of Korea); Xolisa Mabhongo, Permanent Representative to the UN, UNIDO and CTBTO in Vienna (South Africa); Federica Mogherini, MP (Italy); Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Conseiller d’Etat (France)

Also included are Kevin Rudd, outgoing Prime Minister of Australia; Sha Zukang, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (China); Hector Timerman, Minister of External Relations and Worship (Argentina). *Ex-officio members:  plus Co-Presidents of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT —  Janos Martonyi, Foreign Minister (Hungary) and Marty M. Natalegawa, Foreign Minister (Indonesia).