11 NOVEMBER 2025, VIENNA - The Philippines, in its capacity as the Chair of the Working Group A (WGA) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO), was lauded for its leadership and  diplomatic efforts which resulted in the approval of the 2026-2027 Programme and Budget of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty during the 65th Session of its Preparatory Commission on 10-12 November 2025 at the Vienna International Centre.

Many delegations congratulated and commended the Philippines for its skillful negotiations in finding consensus on the CTBT budget despite widely disparate views on the budget level and in the midst of calls to find further efficiencies in overhead costs and operations that don’t affect the delivery of capacity building and maintenance of its International Monitoring System stations across the globe. Ambassador and Permanent Representative Evangelina A. Bernas  led discussions and held extensive consultations with States Signatories and the Provisional Technical Secretariat to facilitate the approval of the organization’s budget. 

The Philippines delivered the WGA report and proposed the adoption of WGA’s four (4) recommendations, including on budgetary transfers, 2026 scale of assessments for Member States contributions, and on the schedule of sessions of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies in 2026. The Preparatory Commission adopted all four (4) recommendations and the report as a whole.

This is the second year of the Philippines as Chair of WGA,  which is one of two subsidiary bodies of the CTBT, and is in charge of all administrative and financial-related matters. END.