A moratorium on such tests exists, and an impressive monitoring machinery has been created, able to register not only weapons tests, but also earthquakes and tsunamis. Yet, because eight countries, including the US and China, have failed to ratify it, the CTBT occupies a legal netherworld: it may be said to be in operation, but not in force.
类似地，人们希望1996年实施的全面禁止核试验条约（CTBT）将成为有约束力的条约，但这一愿望没有实现。 延期核试验有之，令人印象深刻的监督机制也建立起来，不但能够标定核试验，还能标定地震和海啸。但是，由于包括美国和中国在内的八国没有签署全面禁止核试验条约，该条约只是可有可无的法律：可以说它执行了，但没什么效力。