AG/RES. 1414 (XXVI-O/96)

CONSOLIDATION OF THE REGIME ESTABLISHED IN THE TREATY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

(Resolution adopted at the eighth plenary session, held on June 7, 1996)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1355 (XXV-O/95) on the importance of achieving the full consolidation of the regime established in the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco), within the framework of cooperation for security in the Hemisphere and regional contributions to global security;

RECOGNIZING:

That the creation of nuclear-weapon-free zones is an important step toward disarmament, which significantly strengthens the international regime of nonproliferation in all its aspects; and

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) and more recently Southeast Asia and Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba), which, when they enter into force, will cover over half the countries in the world and all of the southern hemisphere;

STRESSING the successful pioneering effort of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve the first populated nuclear-weapon-free zone, an effort which involves all nuclear-weapon states and the countries in the Hemisphere and elsewhere that de jure or de facto have international responsibility for territories located within the zone of application of the Treaty; and

BEARING IN MIND:

That, on May 6, 1996, the Government of Guyana waived the requirements set forth in paragraph 1 of Article 28 of the Treaty; and

That the Treaty of Tlatelolco is now in force for 31 sovereign states of the region,

RESOLVES:

1. To welcome the specific steps taken by a number of countries for consolidation of the regime of military denuclearization established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco.

2. To urge the governments of Latin American and the Caribbean that have not yet done so to conclude as soon as possible their procedures for accession to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, including ratification of its amendments.

3. To urge the governments that have not yet done so to negotiate as soon as possible multilateral or bilateral agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the 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 promoting the search for a universal, genuine, and nondiscriminatory regime of nonproliferation in all its aspects.