"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."