Article XIV of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty contains a special mechanism to promote its entry into force – a conference designed to facilitate this objective takes place every other year. The member states hold Ministerial Meetings in years when conferences are not organized.

The next Article XIV Conference will be held in New York City, in September 2013, with the Hungarian and Indonesian foreign ministers as Co-Presidents of the event. It is the task of the coordinator states to prepare these conferences. The role of the foreign ministers of the coordinator states is to advocate the objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at bilateral and multilateral meetings as well as at conferences and other events, and their activity serves to promote the earliest possible entering into force of the Treaty.

183 countries have signed the Treaty, of which 159 have also ratified it including three of the nuclear weapon states: France, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. However, 44 specific countries must also sign, ratify and become members of the treaty for it to come into force.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs