Foreign Minister Bob Carr has welcomed a new framework to
support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Senator Carr said the framework involves scientific and
technical cooperation between Australia and New Zealand to
promote a permanent and effective ban on nuclear weapon tests.
"International cooperation enhances the ability of scientific
experts to provide advice to their governments on whether a
nuclear test has occurred," Senator Carr said. "Cooperation
between Australia and New Zealand can serve as a model for
others around the world and will strengthen the CTBT. "Australia
strongly advocates the earliest possible entry into force of the
CTBT, so we are taking technical steps to prepare for that
time." In the 16 years since the CTBT opened for signature, the
CTBT Organization has largely completed work on a global network
of over 300 facilities to monitor the environment for acoustic
waves and radionuclide particulates and gases from a possible
nuclear explosion. Data collected by these fac