Jamaica
Jamaica 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 2020) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1970) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2001) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1969, Tlatelolco) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1978) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2003) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 1975) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 2000) | |
| 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) | 2 (11%) |
| 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 | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | Cleared |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No (Rescinded 2006) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Jamaica welcomed the growing support for the Treaty and urged all States that have not yet joined it to do so. ‘The increased number of ratifications serves as a pointed reminder that it is our collective responsibility to pursue a world free of the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons,’ it said, underscoring that the use and possession of nuclear weapons ‘in any context is without moral, ethical, or legal justification’.1
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Jamaica called on all States that have not yet joined the NPT, the TPNW, or the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty ‘to consider doing so as a matter of urgency’. It described the three treaties as complementary and supportive of ‘the global goal of a world that is peaceful and secure for present and future generations’.2
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Jamaica described the forthcoming review conferences for the NPT and the TPNW in 2026 as ‘critical opportunities to demonstrate political will, strengthen collective responsibility, and advance focus on the goal of a nuclear-free world’. It called for ‘meaningful outcomes from these deliberations’.3
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which Jamaica is a member State, also addressed the Committee, reaffirming its support for the TPNW and emphasizing that the First Review Conference in 2026 offers a ‘crucial opportunity to strengthen norms against these weapons and to accelerate the momentum toward their elimination’.4
In a separate statement to the Committee, CARICOM hailed the TPNW as ‘a landmark achievement that reinforces and complements the international legal framework for nuclear disarmament’ and ‘embodies the collective moral, legal, and humanitarian imperative to eliminate these weapons once and for all’. It urged all States that have not yet joined the Treaty to do so ‘without delay’.5
Jamaica 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’.6
Recommendations
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Jamaica should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the Treaty.
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Jamaica should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative and other necessary measures.