Establishment: In 1960s, the Cuban Guided-missile Crisis exerted a great influence on the Latin American countries. They expressed their popular concern over the outbreak of a large-scale international military clash in Latin American region, concern about an inescapable disaster of war. At the 17th general assembly of the United Nations the representative of Brazil first put forward a suggestion to establish a non-nuclear weapon zone in Latin America. In December 1962, the Mexican President Mateos aired his view to Arturo Alessandri Palma, the Chilean president and also to other 15 Latin American countries, advocating the prohibition of using, storing and transporting of nuclear weapons in Latin America, which won the approvals and favorable responses from many countries. On 29 April 1963, the presidents of Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Ecuador issued at the same time their 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 1964, the Latin American countries held their first preparatory meeting in Mexico 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". The signing of the treaty made the Latin America the first nuclear free zone in the world, which was welcomed by the Latin American people. The treaty also won the support of the general assembly of the United Nations.


As stipulated by the treaty, the treaty-bound countries are forbidden to make any test, use, making, producing or attempting to get, nuclear weapons in their respective territories, and also prohibit them to accept, store, install, dispose or to get by any means whatsoever the nuclear weapons. The treaty-bound countries can use the nuclear materials or installations only for the peaceful purpose. Mexico is one of the treaty countries, which has advocated the signing of the "Treaty for the Prohibition of the Nuclear Weapons in Latin America". Being very active in establishing the Latin America nuclear free zone, it signed and approved its participation in the treaty in February and September 1967. Peru signed the treaty in February 1967 and joined it in March 1969. In principle, Cuba supported the establishment of the Latin America nuclear free zone, but it held that the treaty would be unable to exempt the Latin America from the nuclear threat by the United States, so for the time being it would not take any part in it. Hence Cuba became an observer country in the treaty organization, the only Latin American country, which did not sign the treaty at that time (but signed it later in 1995).


Over the past 30 years, the treaty-bound countries made many revisions of the treaty, several of which were major ones. For example, the conference in 1990 passed the No. 267(E-V) Resolution, which resulted in a major revision of the treaty and the Article 7 of the treaty, changing the name of the treaty to the "Treaty for the Prohibition of the Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean", but the original name could still be used.


Aim: The organization is an inter-governmental organization, aiming at guaranteeing the execution of the treaty obligations; being responsible for calling regular meetings, special meetings or meetings for coordinating mutual relations, supervising over the treaty monitoring system and urging the treaty countries to implement the obligations, setting a restriction on the treaty countries that the nuclear materials and installations 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.


Additional Protocol: There are two additional protocols aiming for those countries outside the nuclear free zone. The No.1 additional protocol is to request those countries (the USA, Britain, France, Holland) 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 (China, the USA, the USSR (Russia), Britain, France) 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.


At present the two additional protocols have got signed and approved by all related countries. The USA signed and approved the No.1 additional protocol in 1977 and 1981, and the No.2 additional protocol in 1968 and 1971; France signed and approved the No.1 additional protocol in 1969 and 1992, and the No.2 additional protocol in 1973 and 1974; Britain signed and approved the No.1 additional protocol in 1967 and 1969, and the No.2 additional protocol in 1967 and 1969; The Netherlands signed and approved the former in 1968 and in 1971; The USSR (Russia) signed and approved the No.2 protocol in 1978 and 1979, and China did the No.2 protocol in 1973 and 1974.


Members: All 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, Surinam and Cuba.


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


Major Person in Charge: Secretary-general is supreme chief executive, who does not represent any government and country, nor accept any directive of any country. The post of secretary-general must not be held by any person from Mexico where the treaty organization is located. The present secretary-general is Ramón from Peru who came to the post on 1 January 1993 and renewed his terms of office in 1997 (According to the relevant rules and regulations of the treaty organization, the post of secretary-general may be reelected once with each terms of office being of four years).


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. The major functions are: to work out the concrete measures for supervising over the monitoring system so as to ensure the execution of the treaty; to discuss on the affairs and organizational functions as stipulated by the treaty; to elect the member countries for council and secretary-general, and to study the reports from the secretary-general and the council. 2. The Council: It is formed of the five member countries, and the present council member countries are Argentina, Belize, Chile, Panama and Peru. The council is duty-bound to send in the reports of work to the conference. 3. The Secretariat: It is a standing working body under the guidance of the conference and the council.


In addition, there are still three subordinate organs. They are: 1. The Arbitration Committee: Established at the inaugural conference in 1969, the arbitration committee consisted of Mexico, Jamaica and Peru; On 25 April 1987 the No. 215 Resolution was adopted to add two more countries of Costa Rica and Venezuela, making the committee be formed of five countries. It is mainly responsible for receiving new members, and getting in touch with the related countries in regard to the two additional protocols; 2. Membership Dues, Administrative and Budget Committee: Getting through at the conference held on 21 April 1977, and based on the No.105 Resolution, this body was set up, and through the election of the conference, the member countries of the committee included the five countries of Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela. The committee is responsible for working out annual budget, the payment standard and share for member countries, and also mapping out the expenses for the preferred project, and assisting the secretary-general in doing the relevant work concerning the administration and expenditures, etc. 3. Special Work Group: It was set up in April 1996 based on the resolution, which was made at the conference held in December 1995. The special work group includes Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, a total of 14 countries. Its main job is to draft and revise the relevant articles and clauses in the treaty.


Major Activities: This is the first regional organization in the world, which advocated the prohibition of nuclear weapons in the area. So it exerts a great influence in Latin America and in the world too. Except the conference convened once every two years, the treaty organization also holds special meetings every now and then to study problems concerning the banning of nuclear arms in Latin America, and at the same time, it also takes an active part in the affairs of testing and banning of nuclear arms, and in recent years it shows an active attitude in organizing activities, in opposing the nuclear weapons. In May 1983, the organization held its 8th conference in Kinston, Jamaica, on which it studied earnestly the problem about the introduction of nuclear weapons by Britain into the Malvinas Is., and got through the No.170 (VIII) Resolution and decided to deliver their motions to the 38th general assembly of the United Nations and also to the Disarmament Talks Council so as to express their standing and views over the matter. In February 1992, a celebration was conducted in Mexico on the 25th anniversary of the founding of the treaty organization. On the occasion, Belize, St. Vincent and Grenadines joined the organization, and the conference gained much headway in urging France to speedily sign the No.1 additional protocol, and also pushing Cuba forward in joining the treaty organization. In December 1995, the 10th special meeting was held in Mexico, at which it reiterated that this organization was against the nuclear tests carried on in the South Pacific Ocean, and held that the nuclear test by the related countries had become an obstacle to the realization of thorough banning of nuclear weapons in the world. And so it demanded that the related countries should put an end to nuclear test all at once, appealing to the general assembly of the United Nations that the countries concerned must change their attitudes to support the efforts made by the organization in achieving the nuclear-free zones in Latin America and the South Pacific Ocean. On 25 March 1995, Cuba officially signed the treaty in the capital city of Havana, but has got approved up to now. The major countries in Latin America have so far signed on the treaty and become its member countries. In September 1998, the delegation of the organization headed by Ramón the secretary-general attended the 42nd conference of the International Atomic Energy Organization. At the meeting he expressed his concern over, and paid close attention to, the situation for the banning of nuclear weapons in the world, once again denounced strongly the nuclear tests carried on by India and Pakistan, appealing to the other parts of the world that they would also establish quickly as did in Latin America a nuclear-free zone so as to speed up the development of peaceful cause in the world. In October 1998, the organization made a statement, supporting the signing of the peace treaty between Ecuador and Peru, and it held that this would help avoid wars, and play a role in pushing ahead the cause of banning nuclear weapons in Latin America. In 1998, the organization adopted a resolution, denouncing strongly the nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan, holding that the nuclear tests carried out by the two countries would endanger the world peace, the environment and human life, and appealing to the two governments that they had to keep the pledge for abolishing all nuclear tests so as to achieve the aim of an all round banning of nuclear arms.


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 announced solemnly that the Latin American countries, in order to oppose the nuclear threat and blackmail from superpowers and to maintain peace and safety in Latin America, established the nuclear banning zone. The Chinese government respected fully the just stand, and in response to the request of Mexico and other Latin American countries, the Chinese government decided to sign the additional protocol of the treaty, and also held that the Chinese government welcomed the active endeavor made by the relevant Latin American countries in order to make strong the nuclear-free Latin America. The Chinese government held as always that the relevant countries, according to the actual circumstances in their own areas, established the nuclear-free zone on the basis of consultation by themselves and reaching agreement voluntarily, and held that the related countries should pay attention to their requests and stand, respect their statuses and take up relevant obligations. The Chinese government is willing, together with the Latin American and other peace-loving countries in the world, to make indefatigable efforts for the total banning and destruction of nuclear weapons in the world. In accordance with this stand, the Chinese government signed its approval the No.2 additional protocol as attached to the "Treaty for the Prohibition of the Nuclear Weapons in Latin America" in August 1973 and made the statement to undertake the obligations. 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. In recent years, China has always been sending its representatives to attend its regular meetings.