Communiqué of the Member States of OPANAL on the occasion of the 57th Anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco

Communiqué of the Member States of OPANAL on the occasion of the 57th Anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco

The 33 Member States of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL):

1. Commemorate this day the 57th Anniversary of the adoption and opening for signature of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean - Treaty of Tlatelolco, which created the first Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in a densely populated area and has served as a source of inspiration for four other regions in the world and Mongolia.

2. Reiterate their deep concern over the threat to the survival of humankind posed by the existence of about 12,512 nuclear weapons, as well as the catastrophic humanitarian impact and environmental consequences of their use or any intentional or accidental detonation.

3. Stress their great concern about the prevalent international situation, which is characterized by the increasing threat, explicit or veiled, of use of nuclear weapons, because many of those are on alert status, in a context of geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts and threats of terrorism. Demand that States that possess this type of weapon cease the qualitative and quantitative improvement and modernization programs of their nuclear arsenals, the development of new types of such weapons and of new scenarios and procedures for the development and employment of new types of such weapons, which is inconsistent with international law, in particular with the obligation to adopt effective measures towards nuclear disarmament.

4. Condemn once again unequivocally any and all nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit and irrespective of the circumstances.

5. Demand that nuclear weapons not be used again by any actor, under any circumstances, which can only be assured by the prohibition and the subsequent transparent, verifiable and irreversible elimination of all nuclear weapons.

6. Reiterate that, although the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones do not constitute an end in and of themselves, they do represent a step towards general and complete disarmament under effective international control. Therefore, encourage the establishment of new nuclear-weapon-free zones by means of arrangements freely arrived at among States of the respective regions.

7. Emphasize that the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones promote peace and stability at the regional and international levels by prohibiting the possession, acquisition, development, testing, manufacturing, production, stockpiling, deployment, and use of nuclear weapons; and reaffirm the supremacy of verifiable, irreversible, transparent and complete nuclear disarmament and reiterate that the only guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination.

8. Reaffirm that the unequivocal and legally binding negative security assurances to the States belonging to Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones against the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons are a fundamental element for the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and constitute a legitimate interest of the international community.

9. Call on the four States Parties to the Protocols I and II to the Treaty of Tlatelolco that issued interpretative declarations contrary to the letter and spirit of the Treaty and to international law, to continue examining them together with OPANAL aiming at revising or eliminating them in order to provide full and unequivocal negative security assurances to the States of the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to respect the militarily denuclearized character of the region.

10. Reiterate their commitment to continue to promote dialogue and cooperation among Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones including Mongolia. Encourage the early convening of the Fourth Conference of States Parties and Signatories to Treaties that establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia and commit to contributing to its successful outcome.

11. Also reiterate their conviction to promote a draft resolution of the 79th United Nations General Assembly that seeks to promote a new comprehensive study of the question of nuclear-weapon-free zones in all its aspects.

12. Regret that the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held from 31 July to 11 August, 2023, could not issue any recommendation, and express their determination to renew their efforts to contribute to the success of the next NPT review cycle.

13. Take note of the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), from 27 November to 1 December 2023, in New York, under the Presidency of Mexico. Note that Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the largest number of States Parties to this international instrument, as well as that the TPNW has joined the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the NPT on the path towards the elimination of these weapons of mass destruction in a transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner.

14. Reiterate the commitment of the States of the region endorsed in the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, to continue to promote nuclear disarmament as a priority objective and to contribute to general and complete disarmament in order to favor the strengthening of confidence among nations.