Cessation of Nuclear-Weapon tests

Abstract

The question of the complete cessation of nuclear-weapon tests has long been under consideration on the disarmament agenda, albeit at some times with greater prominence than at others. Relatively recently—at its first special session devoted to disarmament, in 1978—the General Assembly gave fresh impetus to the question by identifying in its Final Document ‘ the cessation of nuclear-weapon tests as a most important initial measure in working towards the highest priority requirement of nuclear disarmament. But the question had been singled out for continuing consideration much earlier, most notably upon the conclusion of the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water, commonly known as the partial test-ban Treaty, by which the original parties, in the third preambular paragraph, specifically seek to achieve “ the discontinuance of all test explosions of nuclear weapons for all time”, and express their determination to continue negotiations to that end. The Treaty, by the end of 1985, had 114 parties. Although two nuclear-weapon States, China and France, are not parties, they have refrained from conducting tests except in the permitted underground environment since 1980 and 1974, respectively.