The Kingdom of Morocco continues to show “unwavering commitment” to the mission of the Provisional Secretariat of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO) to promote world peace and foster nuclear non-proliferation, Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Azzeddine Farhane said, on the occasion of the 63rd session of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission.

As early as 1996, Morocco was one of the first countries to sign this Treaty, contributing to the negotiation and adoption of the CTBT, the diplomat highlighted, reaffirming the Kingdom's commitment to promoting the eradication of nuclear testing in order to achieve global and complete nuclear disarmament.

Morocco inked the treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 2000. The Kingdom has since contributed to global efforts to promote the treaty's entry into force and globalization, with the end goal of eradicating nuclear weapons and achieving complete disarmament, he stressed.

The commitment of Morocco was reflected in its co-chairmanship with France of the 6th Article XIV Conference, and the implementation of a joint action plan to give new impetus to the treaty's ratification process and encourage African countries to ratify this important non-proliferation legal instrument, Farhane said.

Morocco, which remains “fully committed” to the principle of multilateralism and the promotion of South-South cooperation, believes that capacity-building on the African continent through holding training sessions and workshops for African experts is likely to contribute to the achievement of the CTBT's non-proliferation objectives, the diplomat further stated.

“In this context, and in less than two years' time, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the CTBT”, Farhane observed, proposing on behalf of Morocco to organize a high-level segment in Vienna, under the African chairmanship of the next CTBT Preparatory Commission in 2025, in coherence with the Article XIV Ministerial Conferences held every two years in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with a view to speeding up ratification, ensuring the CTBT's entry into force and ensuring its globalization.