More than 1100 scientists, technologists, politicians, diplomats, students and journalists from almost 100 countries have gathered in historical Vienna castle Hofburg during June 24-28 for the conference “CTBTO: Science and Technology 2019” (SnT2019) in order to share opinions and experience in support of achieving a world free of nuclear tests.
The purpose of this conference is not only to support the provision of the nuclear-free world, but also to ensure that global verification regime of CTBTO is in the forefront of scientific and technical innovations and to strengthen the synergy between science, technology and political issues.
Other main moments included discussions on issues of spreading scientific knowledge among a wider audience, on artificial intellect and the fact how CTBT data can contribute to the solving of civil tasks, such as studying climate change and lowering risks of disasters.
Marzhan Nurzhan – a member of CTBTO Youth Group (CYG) – PNND coordinator (Parliaments for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament) on CIS countries, as well as specialists from Institute of Geophysical Research participated in the conference from Kazakhstan.
Marzhan Nurzhan was official participant of the panel discussion “CTBT Youth Group – agents of progress of CTBT entry into force”, where forms of youth activeness, institutional changes required for strengthening the education for the peace-support mission were discussed.
Member of the Pugwash Committee of Kazakhstan, General Director of the IGI Dr. Donbayev K.M. presented on the works of the Institute of Geophysical Research, implemented in support of CTBT. Several presentations were written in co-authorship with foreign specialists: on three party project supported by Norway, on project of International Scientific and Technical Center “CASHS-BU” in the interest of studying seismic hazard of the territory of Central Asia, on the project with AFTAC-DTRA (USA) on maintaining unique historical archived seismic records of nuclear explosions.
Other presentations were dedicated to the assessment of contribution of Kazakhstani stations of International Monitoring System into global and regional monitoring, recording the infrasound signals using infrasound and seismic stations of Kazakhstan from space instruments “Soyuz”, development of information technologies in Kazakhstan National Data Center.
7th SnT2019 Conference became fruitful and showed that despite the occurred difficulties in solving the issues of non-proliferation of nuclear arms, the Comprehensive Nuclear Tests Ban Treaty Organization achieved a real progress in creating the architecture to control the non-proliferation and creation of a space for future dialogs.