Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
65 th Session of the Preparatory Commission
Australian National Statement
Delivered by HE Mr Ian Biggs, Resident Representative to the CTBTO
10 November 2025
Chair, let me begin by thanking you for your extensive efforts in preparing for this session of the Preparatory Commission, including for the formal conclusion of the 64th PrepCom session. I would like to assure you of my delegation’s continued support. I extend my thanks to the Chairs of the Working Groups and the Advisory Group, for their work in the lead-up to this meeting.
Our appreciation also goes to the Executive Secretary and the Provisional Technical Secretariat. We welcome Dr Floyd’s ongoing leadership and the continuation of his dedicated efforts to seek universalisation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty, and maintain the robustness of its verification system.
Chair,
In today’s international security environment, the CTBT’s role in the global arms control and non-proliferation architecture remains vital. By building confidence that any nuclear explosive test would be detected reliably, the Treaty’s verification regime has become instrumental to efforts to uphold the strong global moratorium against nuclear testing. Australia echoes wholeheartedly the Executive Secretary’s statement last week that any explosive nuclear weapon test, by any State, would be harmful and destabilising for global peace and security.
Australia has supported the implementation of the CTBT, as one of the first countries to ratify the Treaty, now hosting 21 facilities as part of the International Monitoring System. We are proud to have led efforts to advance the Treaty’s universalisation and entry into force, including in our capacity as co-Chair of the Friends of the CTBT with Japan, and as an original co-sponsor, with New Zealand and Mexico, of the UN General Assembly First Committee resolution on the CTBT – through the adoption of which we were pleased to reaffirm the overwhelming support for the Treaty.
Australia remains committed to achieving the entry into force of the Treaty. We call on all States which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay, particularly those whose ratification is required for its entry into force. We convey our appreciation to Co-Presidents of the Article XIV process the Philippines and Sweden, whose dedicated work secured the adoption of the Final Draft Declaration at this year’s Article XIV Conference, to continue to promote this goal.
Chair,
Australia firmly rejects any attempt to diminish, dismiss or misrepresent the international community’s grave concerns about the DPRK’s unacceptable conduct. The fact remains that the DPRK was the country that conducted the six nuclear explosive tests detected by the IMS between 2006 and 2017, following the network’s operational establishment. Since then, the DPRK has continued to pursue the development of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and to maintain an aggressive posture with numerous missile test launches and other serious violations of UN Security Council resolutions. Its test site remains prepared to support another nuclear test, according to the latest IAEA Director General’s report on this topic. We urge the DPRK to comply fully with its international obligations, including by not resuming nuclear testing. We reject all attempts to justify or normalise the DPRK’s actions, which undermine the credibility of decades of collective effort and work toward non-proliferation.
Chair,
Australia thanks the PTS for their hard work in presenting several iterations of the 2026-2027 Programme and Budget proposal. We take note of the zero nominal growth budgetary approach reflected in the latest proposal, as well as reprioritisation of activities. We appreciate the PTS’ genuine efforts in finding further efficiencies and cost-saving measures – including by repurposing a significant amount of the reduced budget toward IMS sustainment, despite the zero nominal growth context.
Securing a timely approval of this budget is a priority for Australia, as we approach the present session of the PrepCom. We urge all delegations to work constructively in the coming days toward this objective. The CTBTO’s operations must continue undisrupted.
We regret that reductions to the budget mean that considerations of funding models for long-term sustainment of IMS will be postponed, for now. The importance of appropriate maintenance and sustainment of the IMS network, the CTBT’s technical foundation that underpins its verification regime, cannot be overstated. Collectively, we have a mandate and a responsibility to ensure the IMS’ continued functionality.
Australia looks forward to exploring interim measures in due course to relieve the accumulation of technical debt on the system’s sustainment needs, and to maintain reliable levels of data quality and availability from the primary network, on which we all depend. The significant cash surplus we have available this year, presents an opportunity to address relevant budgetary gaps. We look forward to extending support in this regard.
Lastly, on appointments, we thank you, Chair, for your efforts in finding a way for a consensus decision on the appointment of the Auditor-General of Kenya to be the CTBTO’s external auditor for 2026-2027, which we fully supported. We also congratulate Ms Rashmi Rajyaguru for her re-appointment as Chair of the Advisory Group – the PrepCom has benefited from her professionalism and expertise over the years.
We thank the Executive Secretary for his recommendations on the reappointment of the Director of the Legal and External Relations Division, and the Director of the On-Site Inspection Division, and express our support in this exercise of his mandate.
Thank you, Chair.