New York, 27 March 2017. Cuba appreciated the tribute dedicated to the Fiftieth Anniversary of the conclusion of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco), held in UN headquarters.
At this forum, the Cuban Ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, conveyed our country’s pride for the significant contribution of Latin America and the Caribbean to nuclear disarmament and the maintenance of international peace and security, with the creation of the first densely populated area in the world to be declared as a nuclear-weapon- free zone under the Treaty of Tlatelolco, and the first region to be formally proclaimed "Zone of Peace", on the occasion of the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Havana, Cuba, in January 2014.
“Despite what has been achieved in our region, which is an inspiration for other regions of the world regarding nuclear disarmament, we are not satisfied”, she noted while pointing out that nuclear-weapon states have not withdrawn their interpretative declarations concerning Protocols I and II of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, contrary to the spirit of the Treaty and to the militarily denuclearized character of our region.
To conclude, the Cuban diplomat highlighted the need to promote other actions and initiatives by OPANAL and the region to promote and achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, aimed at improving coordination and cooperation with States Parties of other Treaties on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, as well as, participating actively in the United Nations Conference on the negotiation of an Instrument for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and at the High-Level International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament in 2018. (Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations)