Page 112 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater and in space; the bilateral Thresh-
old Test Ban Treaty (ТТВТ) of 1974, and the Peaceful Nuclear Explosion
Treaty of 1976, which limit the yield of underground tests.

Although many proposals were made on а comprehensive test ban, very
few of them were put forward in formal treaty language. One question that has
caused disagreement more than anything else has been the problem of
verifying underground nuclear explosions. Other contentious issues have
included the use of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes (PNEs) and the
universality of а СТВТ.

The trilateral negotiations resumed in October 1977. The negotiations
focused on the issue of PNEs, verification and the desired participation of two
nuclear-weapon States, France and China, which had not yet become parties to
any test ban agreement. In July 1980, the three delegations presented а report
to the Conference on Disarmament which represented the framework of а
potential treaty. Following the submission of the report, the negotiations came
to а standstill for over а year, and in July 1982, the USA announced it would
not resume the negotiations.

During the past decade, several draft mandates for an ad hoc committee on
а nuclear test ban were submitted to the Conference on Disarmament. Some
called for discussions; others for the negotiation of а treaty. These did not find
consensus. In order to overcome the previous stalemate, compromise mandates
were tabled which enabled the Conference on Disarmament to establish а
subsidiary body on the test ban issue in 1982, 1983, 1990, 1991 and 1993.

On 10 August 1993 the Conference on Disarmament decided to give its
Ad Нос Committee on а Nuclear Test Ban а mandate to negotiate а compre-
hensive Test Ban Treaty. The mandate provided for the intensive negotiation
of а universal and multilaterally and effectively verifiable Comprehensive Nu-
clear Test Ban Treaty, which would contribute effectively to the prevention of
the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects, to the process of nuclear
disarmament and therefore to the enhancement of international peace and se-
curity. It also provided for the establishment of at least two working groups,
one of verification and one on legal and institutional issues, which were set up
in the initial stage of the negotiations.

In early 1994 the Conference on Disarmament appointed Ambassador
Miguel Marin-Bosch of Mexico as Chairman of the Ad Hос committee.
Following а general exchange in the Committee on the issues of а СТВТ, in

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