Tonga ratifies the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

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3 minutes ago
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Pacific advocates stage anti-nuclear tests in this undated photo courtesy of PANG.

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

Tonga has ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, capping the universalization of the accord across the Pacific region, where the legacy of nuclear testing remains conspicuous.

“Tonga’s ratification is a proud moment for the Pacific and a meaningful contribution to the global effort to ban nuclear test explosions for good,” said Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.

“The kingdom has long stood on the right side of this issue: as a party to the Treaty of Rarotonga, as a consistent voice for non-proliferation and disarmament and as a country that understands how nuclear testing has impacted this region,” he added.

Tonga was the 179^th state to ratify the treaty, which has 188 signatory states.

“For a part of the world deeply impacted by nuclear testing, it is a milestone long in the making,” CTBTO said of Tonga's action.

The Marshall Islands is still bearing the impact of the 67 U.S. nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958, causing widespread environmental, health and social impacts.

The treaty is an integral part of the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. CTBTO noted that adherence to the pact is “nearly universal,” but is still nine ratifications short of entering into force.

“The Pacific has felt the pain of nuclear testing. Ratifying the CTBT is our contribution to ensuring that no one, anywhere, has to go through that again,” Viliami Va’inga Tōnē, Tongan ambassador, said during the July 7 signing ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Signing the treaty was more than a legal formality for Tonga; rather, it represents what the tiny kingdom stands for,” said Tōnē, Tonga’s permanent representative to the UN.

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN high representative for disarmament affairs, said

Tonga’s ratification was the culmination of years of dialogue among state signatories, regional partners, the CTBTO and Tongan leadership.

The final action reflected Tonga Prince Tupouto'a Ulukalala's commitment to contributing to international peace and security, Nakamitsu said.

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