25 February 2025 - The Philippines as the Chair of the Working Group A (WGA) of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBTO) co-chaired the 28th Joint Meeting of WGA and Working Group B (WGB) on 21 February 2025 at the Vienna International Centre.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative Evangelina A. Bernas, together with WGB Chair Prof. Erlan Batyrbekov, led the discussions on the long term sustainment of the International Monitoring System (IMS).

The IMS is a unique global network with 321 monitoring stations and 16 laboratories across 89 countries which monitors and detects nuclear explosions. About 90% of its 337 facilities are operational, providing real-time data. The Philippines hosts three (3) IMS stations located in Tagaytay, Taytay, and Davao. END.