Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Ratified by Libya

Paraphrased by
Steve Waldrop
January 15, 2004

Libya has ratified the nuclear test ban treaty, less than three weeks after renouncing its plans to develop weapons of mass destruction, according to a U.N. agency.

Libya's nuclear program was nowhere near producing a weapon. However, the announcement by the U.N. agency overseeing the agreement appeared to be a further sign of commitment by Libya to give up nuclear weapons activities.

The North African country also has announced it will join the Chemical Weapons Convention, obligating it to halt the development of banned weapons and destroy any stocks it currently holds.

The nuclear test ban treaty is 12 nations short of the 44 ratifications needed for it to enter into force. Once it comes into force, the treaty bans any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment.

In mid-December Libya announced that it was giving up its weapons of mass destruction after months of secret talks with the United States and Britain. It said then it would sign the test ban treaty and become a party to the convention prohibiting chemical weapons.

On February 5, Libya will officially become the 159th country to join the convention.

Only 13 countries remain that have not signed or ratified the convention, whose members are subject to surprise inspections for banned weapons and chemicals. Among the 13 countries that have not signed are North Korea, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.

Libya's decision to join the weapons convention is "a positive step that can help strengthen global and regional efforts to prevent the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction," OPCW director Rogelio Pfirter said.

The organization said it would work closely with Libya, which it said must now "declare and destroy" its chemical weapons stocks.

The organization's members include the world's two largest possessors of chemical weapons, the United States and Russia.