The Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) participates in the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, August 1 to 26, 2022.
The Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) participates in the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), chaired by Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen (Argentina), and which takes place from August 1 to 26, 2022 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In her intervention, the Secretary General called on all States belonging to the Nuclear Weapon Free Zones to agree on the dates for convening the IV Conference and that the non-celebration of this, prior to the start of the work of the NPT , should not set a precedent.
Furthermore, Ambassador Bonzanini highlighted that:
- The OPANAL “[…] presented a memorandum[NPT/CONF.2022/2/Add.1] on [its] activities […] which also included information on its Member States' compliance with the Treaty of Tlatelolco, a description of the Agency's relations with other nuclear weapon-free zones, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, and the activities carried out by the Agency on gender and education for disarmament and non-proliferation.”
- “The Treaty of Tlatelolco; The NPT and the CTBT establish norms of International Law and constitute an adequate legal basis for the process aimed at the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons in a transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner forever. The TPAN complements the prohibition rule established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco and represents an effective measure to implement Article VI of the NPT. It is no coincidence that OPANAL Member States played a crucial role in the negotiation, adoption and entry into force of the Treaty. In line with its historical commitment to nuclear disarmament, more than 70% of OPANAL Member States have signed and ratified the Treaty, and more recently the TPAN achieved its universalization in Central America.”
- “OPANAL is convinced that disarmament and non-proliferation education is an effective means to contribute to the consolidation of international peace and security.”
- “[…] the equal, full and effective participation of all people is essential for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security. We hope that this Review Conference will take into account gender considerations during its work and consider the imperative need to ensure gender equality and the full participation of women in the process and at all levels of decision-making regarding disarmament. “nuclear, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”
- "The States Parties to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, faithful to their tradition of nuclear disarmament, presented a working document [NPT/CONF.2020/WP.7] with specific recommendations for your consideration, convinced that all efforts must be exhausted to achieve the success of this tenth Review Conference. Therefore, the States of Latin America and the Caribbean urge the Conference to include these elements in a Final Document.
In Main Committee II, in charge of discussing Non-Proliferation, OPANAL's intervention, carried out by the Research and Communication Officer, Alain Ponce Blancas, highlighted the contribution to International Law of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones; the importance of dialogue between the parties involved in the issue of Interpretative Declarations; and the support that the Review Conference must maintain to strengthen cooperation between free zones, including the celebration of the IV Conference of Free Zones and Mongolia. The full text of the intervention can be read here.
In Main Committee III, dedicated to reviewing, among others, matters related to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the International Relations Officer, Martha Mariana Mendoza Basulto, referred to the recommendations included in the working document presented by the States Party to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, among which the inalienable right of all States to develop the research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination; the importance of the implementation of education programs for peace, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is a proven effective contribution to the consolidation of international peace and security and; the commitment to equity and the equal, full and effective participation of women as one of the essential factors for the promotion of peace and security. The full text of the intervention can be read here.
The Secretary General of OPANAL also held substantive meetings with the delegations of several Member States of OPANAL and other countries and actors interested in the work of the Agency.