Floyd Reappointed to Head Test Ban Organization

December 2024

Member states of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) have reappointed Robert Floyd as executive secretary for a second term through 2029. The decision was made on Nov. 11.

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has helped keep a lid on nuclear testing for 28 years, but there is increasing talk in the United States and elsewhere of resuming testing.

In a Nov. 12 social media post, Floyd expressed gratitude to the member-states for their trust and support and renewed his commitment to the organization’s goals. “I am truly touched and heartened by the encouragement and confidence you have shown over the past 3.5 years,” Floyd wrote. “I look forward to continuing our work together, advancing our shared mission of a nuclear-test-free world—building a world of peace and security for this generation and generations to come.”

At the Nov. 11 meeting, Floyd shared his vision for the organization’s future and outlined several key priorities, including completion of the CTBTO International Monitoring System, carrying out an on-site inspection field exercise in Sri Lanka to help prove the CTBTO verification regime, and promoting continued diversity within the organization.

Floyd, a former head of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, has led the CTBTO since August 2021 after an unusually contentious appointment process. (See ACT, June 2021.)—SHIZUKA KURAMITSU