Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman,
I would also like to express our appreciation to the Executive
Secretary for his comprehensive written and oral reports and commend the
Secretariat for its ongoing efforts to fulfill its mandate, ensuring the
effectiveness and efficiency of the Preparatory Commission. I would also
like to congratulate Mr. Ziping Gu, the new Director of the Legal and
External Relations Division.
The Group is pleased to note that Burkina Faso last April, Kazakhstan
and Venezuela last May have deposited their instruments of ratification of
the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, bringing the total number of
ratifications to 93.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Government of Kenya
for hosting the workshop on CTBTO International Cooperation and National
Implementation for States from East and Southern Africa, held in Nairobi
from 18-20 June 2002. This workshop focused on an overview of the work of
the Commission and the technologies of the CTBT verification regime,
including potential benefits of the application of verification
technologies for scientific and civil purposes. The Group would like to
thank the PTS for preparing this kind of workshop, which also facilitated
an exchange of information and experience aimed at supporting the
implementation of the CTBT, as well as the promotion of the signature and
ratification process in the region. The Group would like to reiterate its
support for organizing such workshops in other regions and sub-regions.
Mr. Chairman,
The Group will comment on the following items of the Agenda for this
Prep Com:
1. With reference to the 2003 Programme and Budget Proposals
contained in CTBT/PTS/INF.511, the Group has made its concrete suggestions
during the last WGA in order to reduce its total amount. We would like to
see our proposal reflected in the new adjusted budget document.
The Group also notes that the post-certification costs have been
increased substantially (approximately US$ 7.6 million as compared to US$
3.2 million in 2002). This amount is very high and should be reduced,
especially in the light of the outcome of WGB discussion on Draft
Guidelines for testing provisional operation and maintenance of certified
IMS stations.
Mr. Chairman,
2. On the possible reduction of the annual number of sessions of the
Preparatory Commission, the Group maintains its previously stated view,
which, if adopted should be complemented by the reduction of the sessions
of its subsidiary bodies. Bearing in mind that the main purposes of the
proposed reductions are rationalization of the method of work in the Prep
Com and in its subsidiary bodies, alleviation of the burden of report
writing on PTS staff and allowing them more time for practical works,
reduction of workload of delegations and achieving significant financial
savings.
Due to the state of development of the Prep Com and its subsidiary
bodies the Group urges all the State Signatories to show flexibility and
cooperation in order to help the efficient work of the Prep Com and its
subsidiary bodies.
The Group would like to thank delegations attending the last WGA
session for the strong support received for their proposal, as reflected
in its report CTBT/WGA-21/1 para 26.
3. The Group of 77 and China welcomes the decision of WGA to make a
recommendation to the Prep Com to approve the draft agreement between the
Prep Com and the Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in
Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), as contained in the annex of the
report, and to authorize the Executive Secretary to sign the agreement on
behalf of the Commission. The Group also calls for the start of the
negotiation process in order to reach similar agreements with other
nuclear weapon free zones.
4. The Group believes that according to the resolution on the
establishment of the Prep Com, technical testing and provisional
operations, as necessary, pending the Entry Into Force (EIF) of the Treaty
is a task of the Prep Com. The operation of IMS stations before the EIF of
the Treaty is provisional and testing in nature and only for the purpose
of testing and evaluating the performance and data quality of IMS
stations.
The mode of operation of IMS certified station should be determined
in the light of actual needs of testing and maintenance of the IMS
network, and the legal and financial concerns of State Signatories should
be duly taken into account during the negotiation of guidelines on the
mode of operation of IMS stations in the WGB.
5. The Group believes that the Human Resources issues in the PTS
should be treated in an open and transparent approach according to the
existing staff rules and regulations. The Group notes that the agreement
on the Commission's non-career policy as outlined in its staff rules and
regulations and the administrative directive on recruitment, appointment,
reappointment and tenure, have been achieved through a delicate political
balance, thus the Group believes that the non-career policy, especially
the seven-year limit on service with the PTS should remain untouched.
Therefore, the Group also feels strongly that the status quo on this issue
be maintained.
6. As stated already during last year's April Prep Com, the Group is
of the opinion that the PTS should cooperate with the Member States in
order to identify possible solutions to impediments preventing them from
making their payments, as recommended by the X Prep-Com in November 1999,
including constitutional impediments.
I thank you Mr. Chairman.
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