Ecuador
Ecuador is an example to be followed by other States, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to being party to a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) treaty.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2019) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1969) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2001) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1969, Tlatelolco) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1975) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2001) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1975) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1995) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | Yes |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 4.33 (22%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | No |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | Yes (Revised) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Ecuador reiterated its ‘firm commitment to the universalization of the TPNW’, welcomed ‘the progress made in its implementation’, acknowledged ‘the growing number of States that have ratified it’, and called on those States that have not yet done so ‘to accede to the Treaty without delay’.1
‘The TPNW is a historic instrument that reflects the international community’s commitment to ending the era of nuclear weapons, and its entry into force in 2021 has amplified the prevailing message of the international community: nuclear weapons are unacceptable, as there is no valid justification for their existence, much less for their proliferation,’ Ecuador said.
In the Conference on Disarmament in February 2025, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador, Gabriela Sommerfeld, highlighted the TPNW and the Treaty of Tlatelolco (which established a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean) as clear examples ‘of what can be achieved with genuine political will and commitment to the achievement of nuclear disarmament’.2
At the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Ecuador warned that nuclear weapons pose ‘an existential danger that transcends borders, ideologies, and generations’. It noted the significant challenges in advancing disarmament, but said that it remained hopeful. ‘The progress achieved in treaties such as the [TPNW] demonstrates that a world free of these weapons is possible,’ it said, noting that TPNW States Parties and signatories represent ‘the will of the majority of the international community’.3
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Ecuador reiterated its call for States that have not yet acceded to the TPNW to do so ‘as soon as possible’ and emphasized that the TPNW ‘complements and strengthens’ the NPT regime. It also acknowledged the progress achieved at TPNW Meetings of States Parties.4
Ecuador co-sponsored the 2025 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which welcomed the Treaty’s entry into force and called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve, or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.5
Recommendations
-
Ecuador should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
-
Ecuador should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.