Paul G. Richards is an American seismologist and geophysicist specialized in the theory of seismic wave link propagation, the physics of earthquakes, monitoring underground nuclear explosions, and nuclear arms control. He is currently the Mellon Professor Emeritus of Natural Sciences at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Richards has been involved in scientific studies on the verification of the CTBT since the Treaty's negotiations in the 1990s in Geneva.

Richards spoke with the CTBTO at the 2011 Science and Technology conference. In his interview, he highlights the importance of CTBTO monitoring data being made available for research purposes and the anticipated impact of digital technology on improving the location of seismic events.

More on the 2011 Science & Technology conference: http://www.ctbto.org/specials/ctbt-science-and-technology-20118-10-june-2011-...

Raymond Jeanloz is Professor of Earth and Planetary Science and Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, United States. Jeanloz also chairs the U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Committee on International Security and Arms Control. He has been actively involved in the verification technologies of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) for many years and was a member of the CTBT Committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which released its report in April 2012.

Jeanloz has acted as speaker and panellist and several of the CTBT Science & Technology conferences. In his interview at the most recent conference, Jeanloz talks about the importance of data sharing for researchers and his hope that the "goldmine" of CTBTO monitoring data will be put to a broad range of uses for the benefit of humanity, including for disaster warning.

More on the 2011 Science & Technology conference: http://www.ctbto.org/specials/ctbt-science-and-technology-20118-10-june-2011-...

"In September 2011, Benno Laggner was appointed Head of the Task Force on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the Swiss Federal Foreign Ministry, making him the country's top diplomat on such issues. Switzerland has a long tradition of supporting and promoting both international law and disarmament. Today it is leading efforts to delegitimize nuclear weapons by arguing that their use would violate the fundamental rules and principles of international humanitarian law.

At the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in Vienna, Laggner delivered a statement on behalf of Switzerland and 15 other nations stressing the grave humanitarian threat and legal implications posed by nuclear weapons. He took time out of his busy schedule to talk to CTBTO Faces about this key issue and the widespread interest it has generated.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"David Strangway is a geophysicist who joined NASA in 1970 as Chief of the Geophysics Branch, where he was responsible for the geophysical aspects of the Apollo missions. He is the founder, first President and Chancellor of Quest University Canada, a private non-profit arts and sciences university. In recognition of his scientific works, Strangway has received several awards including the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 1972 for his scientific contributions to NASA. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996.

Strangway spoke to the CTBTO at the 2011 Science &Technology Conference. In his interview, he talks about the impact of CTBTO data on basic science and how participation in the CTBT verification regime can help developing countries build their scientific capacities."

"In her 30-year long career in the United Nations, Angela Kane has served in numerous positions including Peacekeeping, Disarmament, Political Affairs and Management. As the newly appointed High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Kane is eminently qualified to advise and support the UN Secretary-General on all issues related to arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament.

Just a few weeks after taking up her new position, while attending the May 2012 NPT Preparatory Committee in Vienna, Kane spoke to CTBTO Faces about her early experiences working in disarmament, the role of the UN and how to encourage more women to move into leadership roles.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"For 15 years, Susi Snyder has been actively involved as a civil society advocate on issues such as sustainable development, human rights and nuclear disarmament. Early in her career, she worked with indigenous groups opposing nuclear weapons and waste programmes at the Nevada test site. Snyder served for five years as Secretary General of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) based in Geneva before taking up her post with IKV Pax Christi in the Netherlands in 2010.

Talking to CTBTO Faces during the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, Snyder shared her thoughts on topics such as the role of NGOs and citizens' networks in efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and testing.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"Wolfgang Hoffmann was German Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva at the time of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) negotiations. In March 1997, he was elected the first Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), a post he held until August 2005. During his tenure, Hoffmann helped lay the foundations for the fledgling international organization, guiding its path and overseeing the birth of its unique global network of monitoring stations.

In this interview, conducted at the Vienna International Centre in April 2012, Hoffmann reflects on the start of the CTBTO's challenging but exhilarating journey.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"Tomihisa Taue was born in 1956, a decade after atomic bombs laid waste the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But the eyewitness accounts of those who survived the bombings left a deep impression on Taue and inspired him to become a crusader for a nuclear weapons-free world.

Mayor of Nagasaki since 2007 and a leading figure in the Mayors for Peace movement, Taue works tirelessly to convey his city's powerful message of nuclear disarmament to the global community. He spoke to CTBTO Faces while in Vienna to address the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"Tomihisa Taue was born in 1956, a decade after atomic bombs laid waste the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But the eyewitness accounts of those who survived the bombings left a deep impression on Taue and inspired him to become a crusader for a nuclear weapons-free world.

Mayor of Nagasaki since 2007 and a leading figure in the Mayors for Peace movement, Taue works tirelessly to convey his city's powerful message of nuclear disarmament to the global community. He spoke to CTBTO Faces while in Vienna to address the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."

"Between 1983 and 1993, Paul Quilès held several senior ministerial positions in France, including Minister of Defence (1985-86), where he oversaw the country's nuclear testing programme in the Pacific. As a Member of Parliament, he was chair of the Defence Commission until 2002. He is now the Mayor of Cordes-sur-Ciel, a small historic town in Midi-Pyrenees. Today, he campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons, is a signatory of the Global Zero initiative and a member of Mayors for Peace. Quilès's new book seeks to stimulate public debate in France on the question of nuclear disarmament.

He spoke to CTBTO Faces on these and other issues while in Vienna to attend the May 2012 Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CTBTO."