For several years efforts to strengthen the norm against nuclear testing and to advance the entry into force of Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty have seemed to stall. Various narratives purport to explain the perceived lack of progress: obstructionism by several key states in troubled regions, doubts about the viability of the international verification regime, and concerns, within the United States particularly, about the continued reliability of nuclear arsenals. But do these narratives stand up to scrutiny? What is standing in the way of ratification of the treaty by states in the Middle East, South Asia, and elsewhere? How robust is the international monitoring system? Can the United States (and other nuclear weapon states) maintain the reliability of their arsenals under the CTBT? What is next for the global nuclear test ban?
Transcript available here.