Nuclear weapons tests ban treaty to go before U.N. General Assembly

A treaty banning all nuclear weapons tests was due to go before the United Nations General Assembly yesterday or early today. However, it remains uncertain whether the treaty will come into effect, since India opposes it and Pakistan says it will not sign the accord unless New Delhi does so as well.

"Countries around us continue their weapons programmes either openly or in a clandestine manner," India's UN ambassador, Prakash Shah, told the assembly, referring to China and Pakistan. "In such an environment, we cannot permit our option to be constrained or eroded as long as nuclear weapons states remain unwilling to accept the obligation to eliminate their arsenals."