The UN Security Council on Friday called for the enactment of a treaty to ban nuclear weapons testing, specifically calling on eight states with nuclear capabilities to join without further delay.
The resolution passed at the Security Council marked the 20th anniversary of the treaty, known as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
It is yet to enter into force despite having been signed by 188 states and ratified by 166.
The agreement can come into effect only if all 44 countries that possessed nuclear power or research reactors when the CTBT was negotiated also join the treaty.
Eight such countries have failed to do so, however, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the U.S. signed the agreement but have not ratified it.
North Korea, India and Pakistan have not yet signed.
The council’s resolution called on countries to “refrain from conducting any nuclear-weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion and to maintain their moratoria in this regard.”
The U.S. and China, both permanent Security Council members are the last of five countries known to possess nuclear weapons that have not joined the treaty yet.
Britain, France and Russia have ratified the agreement.
All five countries have refrained from conducting nuclear weapons tests since 1996.
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, said the resolution signalled a global commitment to the CTBT.
He also warned that North Korea’s recent nuclear test, “a reckless act of provocation,” showed the “absolute necessity” to bring the treaty into force.
He said that “today, this is an affirmation of our willingness to take a step that says we will not lose our commitment.
“We will remain committed to moving in the direction of ending the threat of nuclear war.”
Russia, which joined the treaty in 2000, said it regrets that the U.S. has been unable to get the treaty through its national legislature yet due to reluctance from lawmakers.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said “we cherish the hope that the next president of the United States will be more strident in his desire to ratify it.”
Friday’s resolution passed with 14 votes in favour and one abstention from Egypt, which said the issue was not one for the Security Council. (dpa/NAN)