Robert Floyd, the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, emphasizes the crucial role of seismology in preventing nuclear weapon testing and enhancing global security.

At the fourth general assembly of the Africa Seismological Commission, Dr. Floyd highlighted the importance of advancing seismic technology and fostering global cooperation to ensure compliance with the Treaty, which is vital for international security.

"There is a powerful norm in which countries around the world have committed not to test nuclear weapons," he stated. "This commitment is political in nature, and it relies on the effectiveness of international monitoring systems. The stations you operate and the data you access prove essential; if any country were to conduct a test, the world would know."

Seismology is intrinsically linked to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. 

"The treaty we signed bans the testing of nuclear weapons—whether underground, underwater, or in the atmosphere," Dr. Floyd explained. "Our monitoring equipment, some of which is buried underground, measures the vibrations caused by explosions and earthquakes through a branch of science known as seismology."

The CTBTO operates an International Monitoring System comprising over 150 seismic stations worldwide. "As part of the ratification regime of the CTBTO, we have two international monitoring stations in Tsumeb," he added. "One of these is a seismic station that measures and records seismic activity. In Namibia, we have ten permanent seismic stations that record earthquakes and can also detect nuclear explosions occurring anywhere in the world."

The treaty, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996, prohibits all nuclear test explosions for both military and civilian purposes. 

It aims to prevent nuclear weapons testing, curb the development of new nuclear weapons, and promote global security.

While 187 countries have signed the treaty, only 178 have ratified it.

 "Unfortunately, nine countries in Annex 2 have yet to ratify, preventing the treaty from becoming legally binding," Dr. Floyd noted. "This is deeply regrettable, but it is not the end of the world. We still have a powerful norm against testing, and any state considering such actions knows they would face global opposition."