1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean and Additional Protocols

Tlatelolco Treaty / Latin America Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty

• International Law Documents
  • Nuclear
    • Safeguards and Non-Proliferation

Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)

Article 24, Settlement of Disputes:

“Unless the Parties concerned agree on another mode of peaceful settlement, any question or dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this treaty which is not settled shall be referred to the International Court of Justice with the prior consent of the parties to the controversy.”

Government of the United States of Mexico

Additional Protocol I to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

Additional Protocol II to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

22/04/1968

Article 28, Entry into Force:

“1. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this article, this Treaty shall enter into force among the States that have ratified it as soon as the following  requirements have been met:

(a) Deposit of the instruments of ratification of this Treaty with the Depositary Government by the Governments of the States mentioned in article 25 which are in existence on the date when this Treaty is opened for signature and which are not affected by the provisions of article 25, paragraph 2;

(b) Signature and ratification of Additional Protocol I annexed to this Treaty by all extracontinental and continental States having de jure or de facto international resposibility for territories situated in the zone of application of the Treaty;

(c) Signature and ratification of the Additional Protocol II annexed to this Treaty by all powers possessing Nuclear powers.

(d) Conclusion of bilateral agreements on the application of the Safeguards System of the International Atomic Energy Agency in accordance with article 13 of this Treaty.

2. All signatory States shall have the impresciptible right to waive, wholly or in part, the requirements laid down in the preceding paragraph. They may do so by means of declaration which be annexed to their respective instruments of ratification and which may be formulated at the time of deposit of the instrument or subsequently. For those States which exercise this right, this Treaty shall enter into force upon deposit of the declaration, or as soon as those requirements have been met which have not been expressly waived.

3. As soon as this Treaty has entered into force in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 for eleven States, the Depositary Government shall convene a preliminary meeting of those States in order that the Agency may be set up and commence its work.

4. After the entry into force of the Treaty for all the countries of the zone, the rise of a new power possessing Nuclear weapons shall have the effect of suspending the execution of this Treaty for those countries which have ratified it without waiving the requirements of paragraph 1, sub-paragraph (c) of this article, and which request such suspension; the Treaty shall remain suspended until the new power, on its own initiative or upon request by the General Conference, ratifies the annexed Additional Protocol.”

1990 Amendment to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America

1991 Amendment to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America

1992 Amendments to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs accessed on 05/08/2021

Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) accessed on 05/08/2021

The original name for this Treaty was “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America”. The 1990 Amendment to this treaty renamed it “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

The 1991 Amendment replaces Article 25(2) with the following text: “”The status of State Party to the Treaty of Tlatelolco shall be restricted to the independent States within the zone of application of the Treaty, in accordance with article 4 thereof and with paragraph 1 of this article, which on 10 December 1985 were Members of the United Nations, and to the Non-Self-Governing Territories specified in document OEA/CER.P.AG/doc.1939/85 of 5 November 1985, when they attain their independence.” This Amendment limits the condition of State Party to independent States situated in the zone of application of the Treaty and which were Members of the UN as of December 10, 1985 as well as certain non-autonomous territories once they attain their independence. Source: ECOLEX