AG/RES. 1903 (XXXII-O/02): Consolidation of the Regime Established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)

(Resolution adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 4, 2002)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING its previous resolutions on this topic, especially resolutions AG/RES. 1499 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1571 (XXVIII-O/98), AG/RES. 1622 (XXIX-O/99), AG/RES. 1748 (XXX-O/00), and AG/RES. 1798 (XXXI-O/01);

CONVINCED that the creation of nuclear-weapon-free zones is an important step that significantly strengthens all aspects of the international nonproliferation regime, thus contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security;

CONVINCED ALSO that, as stated in the preamble to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, militarily denuclearized zones are not an end in themselves, but rather a means for achieving general and complete disarmament at a later stage;

RECOGNIZING that the Treaty of Tlatelolco has become the model for the establishment of other nuclear-weapon-free zones in various regions of the world, such as the South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga), Southeast Asia (Treaty of Bangkok), and Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba), which, when they enter into force, will cover more than half the countries of the world and all territories in the Southern Hemisphere;

NOTING that the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) has initiated contacts with the states parties to the Treaty of Rarotonga in order to improve cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones;

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION that, on January 14, 2002, El Salvador deposited its instrument of ratification of the amendment to the Treaty approved by resolution 268 (XII) of the General Conference of OPANAL; and

BEARING IN MIND that the Treaty of Tlatelolco is now in force for 32 sovereign states of the region,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge those states of the region that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification of the Treaty of Tlatelolco as well as of the amendments to the Treaty approved by the General Conference of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) in resolutions 267 (E-V), 268 (XII), and 290 (E-VII).

2. To reaffirm the importance of strengthening OPANAL as the appropriate legal and political forum for ensuring unqualified observance of the Treaty in its zone of application and cooperation with the agencies of other nuclear-weapon-free zones.

3. To renew its appeal to those states that have not yet done so to negotiate, as soon as possible, multilateral or bilateral agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency for application of that Agency's safeguards to their nuclear activities, as stipulated in Article 13 of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

4. To reaffirm its commitment to continue striving for a nonproliferation regime that is universal, genuine, and nondiscriminatory in every aspect.

5. To entrust the Permanent Council with holding a special meeting on consolidation of the regime established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of OPANAL and the participation of the United Nations and other international organizations competent in the area.

6. To recognize the work of OPANAL in ensuring compliance with the obligations undertaken in the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

7. To request OPANAL to send the recommendations it considers relevant to the preparatory body of the Special Conference on Security as a contribution to the preparations for that Conference.

8. To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-third regular session on the implementation of this resolution.