Guatemala
Guatemala 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 2022) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1970) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2012) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1970, Tlatelolco) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1982) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2008) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1973) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 2003) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (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 (2024) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes (observer) |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 4 (50%) |
| 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 (Modified) |
Latest developments
At a high-level UN event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2024, Guatemala said: ‘In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in nuclear rhetoric, along with a worrying trend towards the modernisation of nuclear arsenals. In the face of this bleak international environment, the [Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)] is a beacon of hope and a milestone in the search for international peace and security.’1
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, Guatemala welcomed the TPNW’s entry into force in 2021, describing it as ‘a great step forward in legal commitments towards the elimination of nuclear weapons’. It applauded the ongoing efforts by various stakeholders to promote the Treaty’s universalisation, and noted that it complements and strengthens the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).2
Guatemala was one of the co-sponsors for the 2024 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’.3
Recommendations
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Guatemala should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Guatemala should ensure that all of the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.