65th Session of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

From November 10-12, 2025, in Vienna, Austria, the 65th Session of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) took place.

The meeting focused on reviewing the Executive Secretary General's Reports on the implementation of the Treaty, the activities of the International Monitoring Network (IMS), the Global Communications System (GCI) and the International Data Center (IDC)...; and discussed budget, governance and resource issues to ensure that the CTBTO's activities are implemented according to the set roadmap.

The event was attended by CTBTO Executive Secretary General Robert Floyd and 80 CTBTO member countries. Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna, led the Vietnamese delegation and delivered a speech at the Session.

65th Meeting of the CTBTO Preparatory Committee.

In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary stressed that the international community continues to affirm its commitment to preventing all nuclear tests and maintaining the global monitoring system of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). In addition to security challenges, the Session will discuss the CTBTO's Programme and Budget for 2026-2027, which have been adjusted to increase efficiency, cut costs to the maximum, and prioritize additional resources to maintain the International Monitoring System (IMS) and strengthen the data analysis capacity of the International Data Centre (IDC).

Mr. Robert Floyd warned that cuts and delays in investment could increase operational risks to the IMS, affecting data quality and future response capabilities. Therefore, he called on member states to contribute fully and on time to the CTBTO budget, and to consider using part of the 2022-2023 budget to support the maintenance of the IMS system.

Delegates attending the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang affirmed that Vietnam strongly supports the CTBT, emphasizing that the CTBT is an important pillar of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation system; at the same time, he highlighted Vietnam's consistent stance in supporting countries to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes while ensuring safety and complying with the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Ambassador emphasized that Vietnam will assume the role of Chair of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon 2026) in New York and pledged to promote balance, build consensus, and link the NPT process with complementary mechanisms such as the CTBT. The designated Chair of Vietnam will conduct consultations with regional groups in Vienna from November 24-25.

On this occasion, Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang informed about the visit to Vietnam of CTBTO Executive Secretary General Robert Floyd and his participation in the East Asia Regional Workshop on National Data Centers (NDCs) organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in August 2025. The visit made practical contributions to enhancing Vietnam's technical capacity and promoting regional cooperation in the field of inspection and supervision in accordance with the provisions of the CTBT.

The Ambassador also stressed that the above technical assistance, professional training and capacity building programs would be directly affected if the CTBTO had to cut its budget; at the same time, he called for ensuring that cost-saving measures would not affect the CTBTO's overall support activities, especially for developing countries; affirmed to continue to closely coordinate with the CTBTO and member states to promote multilateralism, ensure geographical balance and increase the participation of women and youth in CTBTO activities, and contribute to the common goal of a world without nuclear weapons testing.

Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/phien-hop-lan-thu-65-cua-uy-ban-tru-bi-to-chuc-hiep-uoc-cam-thu-hat-nhan-toan-dien-1972511110826219.htm