Editing Nuclear weapons testing (section)

==Treaties against testing==
There are many existing anti-nuclear explosion treaties, notably the [[Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty]] and the [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty|Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty]]. These treaties were proposed in response to growing international concerns about environmental damage among other risks. Nuclear testing involving humans also contributed to the formation of these treaties. Examples can be seen in the following articles:

* [[Desert Rock exercises]]
* [[Totskoye range nuclear tests]]

The Partial Nuclear Test Ban treaty makes it illegal to detonate any nuclear explosion anywhere except underground, in order to reduce atmospheric fallout. Most countries have signed and ratified the Partial Nuclear Test Ban, which went into effect in October 1963. Of the nuclear states, France, China, and North Korea have never signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.<ref>U.S. Department of State, [https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/4797.htm Limited Test Ban Treaty].</ref>

The 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions everywhere, including underground. For that purpose, the [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission|Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization]] is building an international monitoring system with 337 facilities located all over the globe. 85% of these facilities are already operational.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ctbto.org/fileadmin/user_upload/public_information/CTBT_Ending_Nuclear_Explosions_web.pdf|title=CTBTO Factsheet: Ending Nuclear Explosions |website=Ctbto.org |access-date=2012-05-23}}</ref> {{As of|2012|5}}, the CTBT has been signed by 183 States, of which 157 have also ratified. For the Treaty to enter into force it needs to be ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology-holder countries. These "Annex 2 States" participated in the negotiations on the CTBT between 1994 and 1996 and possessed nuclear power or research reactors at that time. The ratification of eight Annex 2 states is still missing: China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed but not ratified the Treaty; India, North Korea and Pakistan have not signed it.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/status-of-signature-and-ratification/ |title=Status of signature and ratification |website=Ctbto.org |access-date=2012-05-23}}</ref>

The following is a list of the treaties applicable to nuclear testing:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! Agreement date
! In force date
! In effect today?
! Notes
|-

! Unilateral USSR ban
| {{dts|1958-03-31}}
| {{dts|1958-03-31}}
| no
| USSR unilaterally stops testing provided the West does as well.
|-

! Bilateral testing ban
| {{dts|1958-08-02}}
| {{dts|1958-10-31}}
| no
| USA agrees; ban begins on 31 October 1958, 3 November 1958 for the Soviets, and lasts until abrogated by a USSR test on 1 September 1961.
|-

! [[Antarctic Treaty|Antarctic Treaty System]]
| {{dts|1959-12-01}}
| {{dts|1961-06-23}}
| yes
| Bans testing of all kinds in Antarctica.
|-

! [[Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty]] (PTBT)
| {{dts|1963-08-05}}
| {{dts|1963-10-10}}
| yes
| Ban on all but underground testing.
|-

! [[Outer Space Treaty]]
| {{dts|1967-01-27}}
| {{dts|1967-10-10}}
| yes
| Bans testing on the moon and other celestial bodies.
|-

! [[Treaty of Tlatelolco]]
| {{dts|1967-02-14}}
| {{dts|1968-04-22}}
| yes
| Bans testing in South America and the Caribbean Sea Islands.
|-

! [[Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty]]
| {{dts|1968-01-01}}
| {{dts|1970-03-05}}
| yes
| Bans the proliferation of nuclear technology to non-nuclear nations.
|-

! [[Seabed Arms Control Treaty]]
| {{dts|1971-02-11}}
| {{dts|1972-05-18}}
| yes
| Bans emplacement of nuclear weapons on the ocean floor outside territorial waters.
|-

! [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks|Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty]] (SALT I)
| {{dts|1972-01-01}}
| 
| no
| A five-year ban on installing launchers.
|-

! [[Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty]]
| {{dts|1972-05-26}}
| {{dts|1972-08-03}}
| no
| Restricts ABM development; additional protocol added in 1974; abrogated by the US in 2002.
|-

! [[Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War]]
| {{dts|1973-06-22}}
| {{dts|1973-06-22}}
| yes
| Promises to make all efforts to promote security and peace.
|-

! [[Threshold Test Ban Treaty]]
| {{dts|1974-07-01}}
| {{dts|1990-12-11}}
| yes
| Prohibits higher than 150 kt for underground testing.
|-

! [[Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty]] (PNET)
| {{dts|1976-01-01}}
| {{dts|1990-12-11}}
| yes
| Prohibits higher than 150 kt, or 1500kt in aggregate, testing for peaceful purposes.
|-

! [[Moon Treaty]]
| {{dts|1979-01-01}}
| {{dts|1984-01-01}}
| no
| Bans use and emplacement of nuclear weapons on the moon and other celestial bodies.
|-

! [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks|Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty]] (SALT II)
| {{dts|1979-06-18}}
| 
| no
| Limits strategic arms.  Kept but not ratified by the US, abrogated in 1986.
|-

! [[Treaty of Rarotonga]]
| {{dts|1985-08-06}}
| 
| ?
| Bans nuclear weapons in South Pacific Ocean and islands.  US never ratified.
|-

! [[Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] (INF)
| {{dts|1987-12-08}}
| {{dts|1988-06-01}}
| no
| Eliminated Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs). Implemented by 1 June 1991. Both sides alleged the other was in violation of the treaty. Expired following US withdrawal, 2 August 2019.
|-

! [[Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe]]
| {{dts|1990-11-19}}
| {{dts|1992-07-17}}
| yes
| Bans categories of weapons, including conventional, from Europe. Russia notified signatories of intent to suspend, 14 July 2007.
|-

! [[START I|Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I (START I)]]
| {{dts|1991-07-31}}
| {{dts|1994-12-05}}
| no
| 35-40% reduction in ICBMs with verification. Treaty expired 5 December 2009, renewed (see below).
|-

! [[Treaty on Open Skies]]
| {{dts|1992-03-24}}
| {{dts|2002-01-01}}
| yes
| Allows for unencumbered surveillance over all signatories.
|-

! [[US unilateral testing moratorium]]
| {{dts|1992-10-02}}
| {{dts|1992-10-02}}
| no
| George. H. W. Bush declares unilateral ban on nuclear testing.<ref name=armscontrol-ctbt>{{cite web |title=The Status of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Signatories and Ratifiers |url=https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/ctbtsig |date=March 2014 |publisher=Arms Control Association |access-date=June 29, 2014}}</ref> Extended several times, not yet abrogated.
|-

! [[START II|Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II)]]
| {{dts|1993-01-03}}
| {{dts|2002-01-01}}
| no
| Deep reductions in ICBMs. Abrogated by Russia in 2002 in retaliation of US abrogation of ABM Treaty.
|-

! [[Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty]] (Treaty of Bangkok)
| {{dts|1995-12-15}}
| {{dts|1997-03-28}}
| yes
| Bans nuclear weapons from southeast Asia.
|-

! [[African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty]] (Pelindaba Treaty)
| {{dts|1996-01-01}}
| {{dts|2009-07-16}}
| yes
| Bans nuclear weapons in Africa.
|-

! [[Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty]] (CTBT)
| {{dts|1996-09-10}}
|
| yes  (effectively)
| Bans all nuclear testing, peaceful and otherwise.  Strong detection and verification mechanism ([[CTBTO]]). US has signed and adheres to the treaty, though has not ratified it.
|-

! [[Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions]] (SORT, Treaty of Moscow)
| {{dts|2002-05-24}}
| {{dts|2003-06-01}}
| no
| Reduces warheads to 1700–2200 in ten years. Expired, replaced by START II.
|-

! [[START I]] treaty renewal
| {{dts|2010-04-08}}
| {{dts|2011-01-26}}
| yes
| Same provisions as START I.
|}