What is it?

        Latin American nations drafted the treaty on February 14, 1967 in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, and it went into force on April 22, 1968.  Since then all thirty-three nations in Latin America and the Caribbean have signed it and only Cuba has not ratified it.¹  The document establishes Latin America and the Caribbean as a nuclear weapon-free zone (NWFZ).  Each country signing the treaty promises, as stated in Article 1, to outlaw within their territority "the testing, use, manufacture, production, or acquisition by any means whatsoever of any nuclear weapons" and "the receipt, storage, installation, deployment, and any form of possession of any nuclear weapons."  Protocol I of the treaty obligates states with territories in Latin America (France, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to keep the region a NWFZ.  The four nations have signed the treaty.  Protocol II  obligates nuclear-weapon states (NWS) not to undertake any action that would violate the nuclear-weapon free status of the region, including using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against any of the states participating in the treaty.  The People's Republic of China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (now the Russian Federation), France, the United Kingdom, and the United States had ratified Protocol II.²

Verification Measures in the Treaty

    The Treaty created the Organization of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), a regional organization that ensures that all contracting parties are abiding by the treaty.  The organization of OPANAL is similar to the organization of the United Nations.  There is a General Conference that convenes every two years and at special sessions, that are called if necessary.  Among other duties, it establishes "procedures to ensure the adherence to the Control System established by the Treaty of Tlatelolco," creates accords with governments and international agencies, and elects the Council and the General Secretary to four-year terms.   The Council of OPANAL is composed of five member states that meet every two months, and at special sessions if necessary.  Among other duties, the Council, through the General Secretary, "oversee[s] the Control System to ensure its proper function according to the provisions of the Treaty and the decisions adopted by the General Conference" and presents reports to the Conference.³

Articles 12-18: The Control System
12: The purposes of the Control System are to ensure that facilities that are meant for the peaceful of nuclear energy are not used to create nuclear weapons and that no activities are present in the zone that violate Article 1 of the treaty.

13: Each party must enter into multi-lateral or bilateral agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

14: Each party will submit semi-annual reports to the IAEA and OPANAL that state that no activities forbidden by the treaty are taking place within its borders.

15: With the permission of the Council, the General Secretary may ask any party to submit additional information relating to security measures in the treaty.  If so asked, each party should comply with the request.

16: The IAEA has the power to carry out special inspections in accordance agreements reached in article 13.  The Council may carry out special inspections if it suspects a violation of the treaty.  Each Party must allow the inspectors full access to any area and/or information that relates to the inspection.
       The General Secretary will transmit reports on the special inspection to all Parties of the Treaty and the Secretary-General of the UN, who will then share the information with the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Council of the OAS.

17: The Parties have a right to nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

18: The Parties have a right to explode nuclear devices for peaceful purposes, but they must notify OPANAL and the IAEA beforehand.  Also, the General Secretary and any personnel the Council and the IAEA authorize are allowed to observe the explosion.

Articles 19-20: Information relating to the Control System
19: With the permission of the General Conference,OPANAL may enter into agreements with the IAEA with regards to verification of the Treaty.  OPANAL may also enter into agreements with other international organizations.

20: If the General Conference believes that a Party is not complying with the Treaty, it will inform the Party of its opinion and make recommendations.  If the Conference feels that international peace is being threatened, it will report so to the Secretary-General of the UN, who in turn will inform the Security Council and the General Assembly.⁴

Notes

    The treaty of Tlatelolco is a very significant document.  Besides being the first treaty to forbid nuclear weapons over a populated region (unlike the Antarctic Treaty), the Treaty of Tlatelolco is also significant for its pioneering verification measures.  It is the first treaty to include challenge on-site inspections for verification.⁵ The Treaty also served as a base for other disarmament treaties: the Treaty of Rarotonga, the Treaty of Bangkok, and the Treaty of Pelindaba.⁶