OPANAL Council Resolution C/Res.52 on the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa

Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
20 August 2009

COUNCIL RESOLUTION C/Res.52

Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa

The Council,

Recalling the preamble of the Treaty of Tlatelolco which states that “the military denuclearization of vast geographical zones, adopted by the sovereign decision of the States comprised therein, will exercise a beneficial influence on other regions where similar conditions exist;”

Recalling further the Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa, issued by the Heads of
African States and Governments of the Organization of the African Unity during its first Ordinary
Session in Cairo, from 17 to 21 July 1964, which committed the African States to negotiate an
international agreement, to be concluded under the auspices of the United Nations not to
manufacture or acquire control of nuclear weapons;

Recalling also the signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of
Pelindaba) in Cairo on 11 April 1996;

Convinced that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones is an important step toward
strengthening the nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation regime and the promotion of
regional and international peace and security;

Reiterating the provisions of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the
General Assembly which “called upon the nuclear-weapon States to take steps to assure the non-
nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons;”

Bearing in mind the Declaration of the Conference on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones,
adopted in Mexico on 28 April 2005, which expresses the interest of the States Parties and

Signatories to Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones in promoting cooperation and
consultation mechanisms among themselves,

Resolves:

1. To welcome with satisfaction the entry into force of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free
Zone with the ratification of the Government of Burundi on 15 July 2009.

2. To call upon African States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty of
Pelindaba as soon as possible.

3. To exhort the nuclear-weapon States and any other State contemplated in the Protocols of
the Treaty of Pelindaba that have not yet signed and ratified them to do so as soon as
possible.

4. To reaffirm our commitment to fulfill the common objectives established in the Treaties
of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok, Pelindaba, Central Asia and the Nuclear-Weapon-Free
State of Mongolia in order to promote nuclear-weapon-free zones and to contribute to
strengthen the NPT regime and achieve nuclear disarmament.

5. To entrust the Secretariat General to deliver the text of this Resolution to the President of
the Commission of the African Union, to the States Parties of OPANAL, to the Secretary
General of the United Nations and to the Focal Points of the other Nuclear-Weapons-Free
Zones.

(Adopted by the Council
on August 20, 2009)

Original Document: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1329157&da=y