The Commonwealth of the Bahamas announced this week that it has ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, according to a news release from the CTBT Organization in Vienna. The Treaty prohibits all nuclear explosions.
The ratification by the Bahamas brings the total number of Treaty ratifications to 141. But the Treaty cannot take effect until it is ratified by ten other states with nuclear programs, including China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran and the United States.
For related background, see “Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty” (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service, updated October 29, 2007.
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With a PhD in materials science, a postdoc position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and a stint as a AAAS Fellow, Dr. Shawn Chen has had a range of roles in the research community.