August 22th, 2013
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Photo: Closing of the XXIII Ordinary Period of Sessions of the General Conference of OPANAL. From left to right: Hon. Mr. Héctor Timerman, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina; the Hon. Ambassador Gioconda Ubeda, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica; Her Excellency Mrs. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of the Argentine Nation; the Hon. Mr. Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Deputy Director of Multilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba and; the Hon. Ms. Ambassador Helena Yánez, Director of the United Nations System of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador.
Buenos Aires, Argentina; August 22, 2013.- Government representatives of the 33 Member States of the Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), met at the San Martín Palace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina to carry out the XXIII Ordinary Period of Sessions of the General Conference of OPANAL.
The main Body of OPANAL, created by virtue of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, approved its Strategic Agenda with the guiding axes: achieving full negative security guarantees for all States of the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in Latin America and the Caribbean by nuclear weapon states; effectively contribute to the achievement of general and complete nuclear disarmament, promoting actions at the multilateral level for the negotiation and adoption of a universal legally binding instrument that prohibits nuclear weapons and; promote education for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as disseminate the important work of the Agency.
The President of the Argentine Republic, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, closed the work of these Sessions by emphasizing that: “the security of the world is due not only to nuclear non-proliferation but also to the fact that we manage to establish rules and standards of conduct that can be applied uniformly." Likewise, he emphasized that the weapons have to be the ideas, and in that sense he added that: “when there are ideas that can embody mostly what humanity wants and needs, these are triumphs much more important than what the triumphs can be. military.”
On the other hand, within the framework of the General Conference, Argentina signed the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the Agency. Argentina, as host country, presided over the Conference and Costa Rica and Cuba were designated as Vice Presidents.
The General Conference is the main Organ of OPANAL, it is made up of the 33 States Parties to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and has the power to make the most relevant decisions in accordance with the provisions of the same Treaty.
The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the international legal instrument that prohibits the manufacture and acquisition, by any means, of nuclear weapons within its territory of application, and also requests that States possessing nuclear weapons guarantee the non-use or threat of use of such weapons. weapons on the region, thus establishing the first nuclear weapons-free zone in a densely populated territory on the planet. To ensure compliance with its obligations, the Treaty created OPANAL in 1969, whose ultimate objective is to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
Documents of the XXIII Regular Period of Sessions/ Documents of the XXIII Regular Session
| CG/654 | Events | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/655 | List of participants | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/656 | Report of the Secretary General (November 13, 2012 to July 31, 2013) | 22-nov-2013 |
| CG/657 | Report of the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CCAAP) | 14-ago-2013 |
| CG/659 | Financial Statements and Auditors' Report as of December 31, 2012 | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.25.2013 | Memorandum from the General Secretary regarding the 2014 Preliminary Budget | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.26.2013 | Memorandum from the General Secretary regarding resources for the OPANAL Special Funds | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.27.2013 | Report of the Working Group to Strengthen the Control System of the Treaty of Tlatelolco | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.28.2013 | Report of the Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education Working Group | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.29.2013 | Report of the Working Group for the Analysis and Review of the Financial Regulations | 4-jul-2013 |
| CG/654 | Events | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/655 | List of Participants (Spanish only) | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/657 | Report of the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Matters (CCAAP) (Spanish only) | 14-ago-201 |
| CG/659 | Financial Statements and Auditors' Report | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.25.2013 | Memorandum of the Secretary-General FY 2014 Draft Budget | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.26.2013 | Memorandum of the Secretary-General relating to Resources for OPANAL Special Funds | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.27.2013 | Report of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Control System established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.28.2013 | Report of the Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education | 4-jul-2013 |
| SG.29.2013 | Report of the Working Group on Analysis and Review of the Financial Regulations | 4-jul-2013 |
Resolutions of the XXIII Ordinary Period of Sessions/ Resolutions adopted during the XXIII Special Session
| CG/Res.553 | Report of the Secretary General | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.554 | Strategic Agenda of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.555 | Report of the Working Group to Strengthen the Control System of the Treaty of Tlatelolco | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.556 | Report of the Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education Group | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.557 | Report of the Working Group for the Analysis and Review of Financial Regulations | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.558 | Report of the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CCAAP) | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.559 | Budget of the Agency for the Financial Year 2014 and Scale of Quotas corresponding to this period | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.560 | Creation and Restructuring of OPANAL Special Funds | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.561 | Financial Statements and Auditors' Opinion as of December 31, 2012 | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.562 | Appointment of the External Auditor | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.563 | Urgent Need for General and Complete Nuclear Disarmament | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.564 | Vote of Thanks | 22-ago-2013 |
| CG/Res.553 | Secretary-General's Report | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.554 | Strategic Agenda of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.555 | Report of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Control System Established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.556 | Report of the Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.557 | Report of the Working Group on Analysis and Review of the Financial Regulations | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.558 | Report of the Committee on Contributions and Administrative and Budgetary Matters (CCAAP) | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.559 | Fiscal Year 2014 Budget and Scale of Contributions of OPANAL Member States | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.560 | Creation and Restructuring of OPANAL Special Funds | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.561 | Financial Statements and Auditors' Report to 31 December 2012 | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.562 | Appointment of the External Auditor | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.563 | Urgent Need for General and Complete Nuclear Disarmament | Aug 22, 2013 |
| CG/Res.564 | Vote of Thanks | Aug 22, 2013 |