Establishment: After the Cuban Guided-missile Crisis in October 1962, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile put forward a suggestion to establish a non-nuclear weapon zone in Latin America at the 17th general assembly of the United Nations. On 29 April 1963, the presidents of Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Mexico issued at their own capital the respective statement, suggesting that a treaty be signed among the Latin American countries to make the region a nuclear free zone. In November, the same year the Latin American countries put forward, at the 18th general assembly of the United Nations, the proposal that a nuclear free zone be established in Latin America and got through. In November 1964, 11 Latin American countries decided to held their first preparatory meeting and mapped out a draft treaty. On 14 February 1967, the twenty-one Latin American countries signed a "Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America" in Tlatelolco, Mexico, namely the (Tlatelolco Treaty), which formally entered into force on 25 April 1969. On 2 September the same year, the treaty countries formed an "Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America", which served as an executive body to supervise over the implementation of the "Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America". In 1985 the 9th meeting of OPANAL decided to use the name of the organization in the formal documents as "Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina Y EL CARIBE - OPANAL" .

Aim: The treaty stipulates that in the treaty countries the nuclear materials and installations can be used only for peaceful purposes, and prohibiting them to test, use, store, build or to get by any means whatsoever the nuclear weapons on their respective territories. There are two additional protocols aiming for those countries outside the nuclear free zone. The No.1 additional protocol is to request those countries that have their own territories or possessions in Latin America to undertake the obligations stipulated by the treaty. The No.2 additional protocol is to request those countries of the world that own their nuclear weapons to respect fully the rules and regulations of the nuclear-free zone, and not to use nuclear weapons in Latin America or not to threaten the Latin American countries with nuclear weapons.

Members: 32 of the 33 countries in Latin America are the member countries that include: Barbados, the Bahamas, Peru, Bolivia, the Republic of Dominica, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, Venezuela, Uruguay, Jamaica, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Dominic, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Surinam. Cuba signed to join the treaty in 1995, but has not approved it yet.

Countries as Observers include: Germany, Canada, Korean, Cyprus, Spain, the Philippines, Finland, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco,South Africa, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand.

Countries in connection include: the United States of America, Britain, France, China, Russia and the Netherlands.

Major Person in Charge: The present secretary-general is Eduardo Vargas Carreno from Chile who was elected on 15 March 2001 and took up the post on 1 June the sane year. His term will last untill 31 December, 2005.

Organizations: The headquarters is located in the Mexican City, and Mexico is the country where treaty documents are conserved. The major organizations include: 1. Conference of Treaty Countries: It is the supreme organ of authority, and the conference participated by all member countries is held once every two years, whereas special meetings may be called at any time depending on the situation. 2. The Council: It is formed of the five member countries and elected by the Conference. The term for the council members is four years. 3. The Secretariat: It is a standing working body under the guidance of the conference and the council. Secretary-General is elected by the Conference, the office term is four years and can renew the post one time.

Publication: OPANAL Documentos. It is irregular and printed in Spanish.

Website: http://www.opanal.org/

Major Activities: By the end of August 1992, Britain, Holland, United States and France, which have connection with the No.1 additional protocol, officially signed and approved the the protocol. By the end of January 1979, China, Britain, United States, France and USSR (now Russia) , which have connection with the No.2 additional protocol, officially signed and approved the protocol. By November 2001, OPANAL has held 17 conferences and 15 special meetings. From 29 to 30 November 2001, the 17th conference was hold in Panama City , capital of Panama.

Relations Between China and the Organization:

On 14 November 1972, Ji Pengfei, the foreign minister expressed in behalf of the Chinese government that he respected the nuclear-free Latin America as stipulated by the treaty and the obligations China should undertake. On 21 August 1973, the Chinese government signed the No. 2 Protocol. Starting from 1975 onwards the Chinese government has for many a time sent its observers to attend the annual meetings. In May 1983, the Chinese representative, who attended the 8th regular conference of the organization held in Kingston, Jamaica made a presentation, reiterating that China would never use nuclear arms or nuclear threat against the Latin American countries or non-nuclear regions, nor would it make any test, manufacture, produce, store, install or dispose any weapons in the above-mentioned countries and regions, nor to let its own nuclear-weapon carrier to fly over the sovereignty territories, airs and seas, and it also required the other countries to do the same. Zhu Xiangzhong, Chinese Ambassador to Chile attended the 14th conference and made remarks on China's stance on nuclear disarmament, not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons to non-nuclear countries and regions unconditionally. Rogers and Martinus, former secretary-generals of the OPANAL visited China in 1975 and 1983 respectively .