Tlatelolco Treaty

2022-2019

2022

On 15 February 2022, the IAEA Secretariat received a communication from the Permanent Mission of Mexico commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

On 17 November 2022, the 27th Special Session of the General Conference of the OPANAL was held in Mexico City. The Conference reaffirmed the militarily denuclearized nature of the region and requested the review or withdrawal of the Interpretative Declarations made by States Parties to Protocols I and II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2021

On 30 September 2021, the 27th Ordinary Session of the General Conference of OPANAL was held in Mexico City. The Conference adopted 17 resolutions, including the re-election of Ambassador Flávio Roberto Bonzaninias as Secretary General and a forthcoming signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Nuclear Energy Commission (AFCONE).

2019

On 7 November 2019, the 26th Special Session of the General Conference of the OPANAL was held in Mexico City. The Conference adopted 16 resolutions, including the election of Ambassador Flávio Roberto Bonzaninias as Secretary General; the election of three Member States of the Council –Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua– for a four-year period, from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023; and the election of Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay, as Members of the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Matters (CCAAP), for the same period.

2018-2016

2018

From 23 April to 4 May, OPANAL participated as an Observer International Organization in the second Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference. Ambassador Soares, OPANAL’s Secretary-General, delivered a statement in the general debate highlighting the benefits of NWFZs and reminding delegates of Action 9 of the 2010 Action Plan, which encouraged the establishment of NWFZs.

On 20 September, the 316th Meeting of the Council of OPANAL was held at OPANAL headquarters. Ambassador Jorge Alberto Delgado Fernandez, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to OPANAL, chaired the meeting.

On 21 September, OPANAL participated in the IAEA’s 62nd General Conference. Ambassador Eric Anderson Machado, Coordinator of OPANAL in Vienna and Permanent Representative of Peru to the IAEA, delivered a statement affirming NWFZs and highlighting OPANAL’s status as the only international organization attached to a NWFZ treaty.

On 17 October, Ambassador Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares, the Secretary-General of OPANAL participated in the First Committee of the UNGA and a panel on the “Current State of Affairs in the Field of Arms Control and Disarmament.” The Secretary-General offered comments during the panel highlighting optimism over diplomatic talks regarding the Korean Peninsula, and the importance of NWFZs.

On 15 November, the XXVI Special Session of the General Conference of OPANAL was held at Argentinian embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. The General Conference adopted resolutions pursuant to internal OPANAL matters and addressed heightened international tensions in its general debate.

On 5 December, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 73/71, calling for the convening of a fourth Conference of Nuclear Weapons Free Zones and Mongolia at UN Headquarters on 24 April 2020. The resolution also encouraged talks toward the establishment of a Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.

2017

On 14 February, the Treaty of Tlatelolco celebrated its 50th anniversary.

On 23 March, OPANAL submit a working paper entitled “Recommendations for the negotiation of a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination,” to the UN General Assembly.

On 4 May, Ambassador Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares, the Secretary General of OPANAL, delivered a statement at the First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Secretary General emphasized the importance of nuclear-weapon-free zones.

2016

On 5 February, OPANAL held a special session due to the visit of Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the IAEA. Mr. Amano reported that all members of OPANAL have completed their comprehensive safeguards and stated “the Treaty of Tlatelolco is a very good example to other countries.”

On 14 February, the Treaty of Tlatelolco and OPANAL celebrated its 49th anniversary.

On 5 April, South Korea and Mexico resumed discussions on trade between the two nations. Part of these discussions included a promise from Mexico to share their experience negotiating the Treaty of Tlatelolco allowing South Korea to apply this knowledge to negotiating a NWFZ.

On 11 October, the Secretary General of OPANAL delivered a statement at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. The Secretary General emphasized the danger of nuclear weapons and the importance of a road towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

On 10 November, OPANAL held the 24th Special Session of the General Conference in Mexico City.

2015-2013

2015

On 23 February, OPANAL submitted a memorandum to the NPT Review Conference on their activities regarding the Treaty of Tlatelolco since the 2010 NPT Review Conference.

On 23 March, talks between the US and Cuba reaffirmed Latin America as a “Zone of Peace” based on the Treaty of Tlatelolco and international law.

On 27 April, Ecuador delivered a statement on behalf of CELAC at the General Debate of the 2015 NPT Review Conference. They emphasized their commitment in establishing a nuclear weapons free world, and underscored the importance of using the Treaty of Tlatelolco as a “political, legal, and institutional reference point” to foster future NWFZs. They further implored Nuclear-Weapons States to remove their interpretations on the Protocols to the Treaty.

On 30 April, Secretary-General Ambassador Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares delivered the OPANAL statement to the 2015 NPT Review Conference. He specifically noted the political difficulty of establishing a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in the Middle East by contrasting it with the geopolitical situation surrounding the Treaty of Tlatelolco in the 1960s.

On 12 October, Ecuador issued a statement at the 2015 UN General Assembly General Debate. Speaking on behalf of CELAC, Ecuador reaffirmed their supportive stance towards Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zones around the world, recalling the Treaty of Tlatelolco as the first such zone. Ecuador further urged the Nuclear Weapons States to “withdraw all interpretive declarations to the Protocols” to the Treaty and to respect Latin America as a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone.

On 21 November, OPANAL held the 24th session of the General Conference in Mexico City. One of the main topics of discussion was that of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation education.

2014

On 28-29 January, at the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in Havana, the Latin America and the Caribbean was declared a “Zone of Peace” based on the Treaty of Tlatelolco and international law. Member states reaffirmed their commitment to abide by the treaty’s nuclear disarmament policy.

On 14 February, the Tlatelolco treaty celebrated its 47th anniversary.

On 20 March, Ambassador Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares, Secretary-General of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), presented a statement to the Committee on Hemispheric Security of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States. The statement described progress taken in light of Resolution AG/RES. 2624 (XLI-0/11) “Consolidation of the Regime established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco).” The Secretary-General discussed member states’ compliance with the treaty and, while admitting there are still challenges to be faced, deemed the treaty “a gift from Latin America and the Caribbean to the world.”

2013

On 17 January, OPANAL Secretary-General Ambassador Gioconda Ubeda, presented a progress report on relevant developments of the consolidation process of the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Latin America and the Caribbean (NWFZ), at the request of the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CHS) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Highlighting the contribution of the Treaty of Tlatelolco to global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Ubeda emphasized that OPANAL is building a consensual political agenda that highlights, inter alia, Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education, the strengthening of the Control System that guarantees military denuclearization of the NWFZ, and actions aimed at reaching a world free of nuclear weapons.

On 7 February, 33 heads of State of CELAC (also party to the Tlatelolco Treaty) pushed for disarmament and pledged to continue their commitment to a nuclear weapons-free world at the High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament on 26 September 2013 in New York.

On 13 February, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised the region’s efforts to stop nuclear proliferation and stated that “the Treaty of Tlatelolco is a model for the world to follow.”

On 14 February, Tlatelolco celebrated its 46th Anniversary.

From 29 September to 1 October, the Director General of the IAEA visited Havana, Cuba. The DG praised the Tlatelolco Treaty and ongoing Technical Cooperation Programs between the IAEA and countries in the region.

On 23 October the Treaty of Tlatelolco was chosen out of 24 nominated policies as the winner of the 2013 Future Policy Award for “sustainable disarmament.” The award, presented by the World Future Council, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, commended the treaty’s importance to the creation of other Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zones and its role in “advancing regional peace and security.

2012-2009

2012

On 14 February, the Treaty of Tlatelolco had its 45th Anniversary. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the pact as an example of how regional initiatives can advance global norms on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of atomic energy. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano also acclaimed the achievement of the Treaty of Tlatelolco in providing inspiration for four similar treaties in Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

On 27 April, Ambassador Alfredo Labbé addressed the First Preparatory Meeting for the Third Conference of States Parties and Signatories to the Treaty Establishing Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia, on behalf of OPANAL Secretary-General Gioconda Ubeda, and stressed the need for joint leadership among the five NWFZs in order to strengthen coordination and cooperation among the NWFZs.

On 3 May, Secretary-General of OPANAL Gioconda Ubeda addressed the NPT PrepCom and expressed OPANAL’s hope that the five NWS would soon sign or ratify the Additional Protocols of all NWFZ treaties. Additionally, he offered to share the experience of the NWFZ in Latin America and the Caribbean at the 2012 Conference on the Establishment of a NWFZ in the Middle East.

On 15 October in New York, the Secretary General of OPANAL, Gioconda Ubeda, spoke at the 67th Session of the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Ubeda addressed several topics, including Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education, the contribution of nuclear-weapon-zones to disarmament and nonproliferation, the need for Annex II States parties to the CTBT to sign and ratify the CTBT, and the intrinsic relationship between OPANAL and the IAEA. In addition, Ubeda called attention to the seminar “The Experience of the NWFZ in Latin America and the Caribbean and the prospective towards 2015 and beyond,” which was held within the framework of the Commemorative Events on the Occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2011

On 16 June in Geneva, the Secretary General of OPANAL, Gioconda Ubeda, spoke at the first plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament. Ubeda addressed the importance of strengthening multilateral dialogue among nations, essential for establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ) around the world. In addition, she recognized that the 114 states that make up the five nuclear weapons free zones have much to contribute to the global community but still face a large task of helping eliminate the threat presented by nuclear weapons.

2010

On 30 April, the Second Conference of States Parties and Signatories of Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia was held in New York. The conference adopted the Outcome Document which reiterated the final declaration of the 2005 Conference and welcomed the entry into force of the African and Central Asian NWFZs as well as the efforts of Mongolia to institutionalize its nuclear weapons free status. It further called on the nuclear-weapons states to sign all relevant protocols and withdraw existing reservations.

On 31 October, the General Secretariat of OPANAL recommended that Article 18 of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which permits peaceful nuclear explosions for the purpose of technological development, be studied and revised. In support of this recommendation, the General Secretariat memorandum observed that nuclear explosions had proven “unnecessary for the development of nuclear technology” and noted that the treaty’s 33 member states were opposed to nuclear testing of any kind.

2009

On 17 April, the Council of OPANAL passed Resolution C/Res. 47, which notes with satisfaction the creation of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone in Central Asia and promotes cooperation with the new NWFZ in order to fulfill common objectives set forth by the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the Central Asian NWFZ Treaty.

From 27-28 April, a Meeting of Focal Points of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and Mongolia was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Both the importance of universalizing the NPT and the necessity for entry into force of the CTBT were reiterated, Preparations for the 2010 NPT Review Conference, and the Third PrepCom were also discussed. States parties to the Treaty of Tlatelolco submitted a working paper to the PrepCom.

On 26 November, the XXI Regular Session of the General Conference of OPANAL met in Mexico City and adopted one resolution related to the Tlatelolco Treaty: CG/Res.515 Interpretative Declarations of the Nuclear Powers to Protocols I and II of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2008-2002

2008

On 8 February, the Organization of American States Permanent Council’s Committee on Hemispheric Security convened in special session to consider OAS progress with respect to initiatives on the CTBT and related instruments. The session received briefings from the OPANAL, CTBTO, and UNODA, and reaffirmed the OAS commitment to the Western Hemisphere as a nuclear weapons free-zone and stressed its support for the CTBT.

On 14 February, OPANAL organized a seminar on the “Treaty of Tlatelolco” for the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the opening for signature of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2007

On 14 February, members of the Treaty of Tlatelolco met in Mexico City to celebrate the Treaty’s 40th anniversary.

On 28 June, OPANAL adopted resolution C/Res.43 on procedural issues relating to the resignation of Secretary General Edmundo Vargas Carreno. The OPANAL council resolved to assume the duties of the Secretary General until a new one is elected.

2006

On 11 September, OPANAL adopted resolution C/Res.41. The resolution welcomed the establishment of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapons Free Zone and instructed the Secretary General to congratulate the relevant republics on its behalf.

On 7 December, OPANAL adopted resolution C/Res.42 on strengthening the organization. The resolution urges OPANAL members to promote campaigns to disseminate the principles and objectives of the Treaty.

2005

On 26-28 April, the Conference of States Parties and Signatories of Treaties that establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones was held in Tlatelolco, Mexico. The Conference adopted a declaration, reaffirming that nuclear weapons constitute a threat to humanity, urging nuclear weapons states to adopt negative security assurances, and stressing the importance of the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

2003

The XVIII Session of the General Conference of OPANAL adopted several resolutions related to the Tlatelolco Treaty: CG/Res. 439 Status of the Treaty and its Additional Protocols, CG/Res. 444 Prevention of Radioactive Contamination of the Marine Environment within the Framework of the Treaty of Tlatelolco: Transportation of radioactive material, and CG/Res. 447 Declarations of Nuclear Powers to the Additional Protocols I and II of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2002

On 23 October, Cuba ratified the Tlatelolco Treaty. With its ratification, the treaty came into full force throughout all 33 states within the region. Cuba had announced to the UNGA that it would accede to the NPT and ratify the Tlatelolco Treaty on 14 October.

1995-1969

1995

On 25 March, Cuba signed the Tlatelolco Treaty and subsequently signed its amendments in December. However, Cuba did not ratify the treaty. By this point in time, all 33 states in Latin America and the Caribbean had become signatories of the treaty. It took the treaty nearly 30 years to secure universality of membership in the region.

1992

General Conference Resolution 290 (E-VII) (1992) amended Articles 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20, reassuring the confidentiality of industrial secrets of Member States in nuclear matters and establishing how the IAEA shall intervene in the special inspections referred to in Article 12 and 13 of the Treaty.

1991

At the XII Session of the General Conference of OPANAL, Resolution 268 (XII) amended paragraph 2 of Article 25, following the wording of Article 8 of the OAS Charter, making possible the adherence to the System of Tlatelolco of those countries which previously impeded to do so.

1990

On 3 July, V Special Session of the General Conference Resolution 267 (E-V) (1990) amended Article 7, relating to the legal denomination of the Treaty. Once into force, the Treaty was to be titled “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean” but was to continue to be recognized as Treaty of Tlatelolco.

1982

Alfonso García Robles, the former Mexican ambassador to Brazil, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts promoting the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

1969

The Treaty entered into force on 25 April, after 11 states of the region ratified it and exercised the right to waive requirements laid down in Article 28. Subsequently, it became effective for each additional state individually after that state ratified the Treaty and exercised its right of waiver.