Paraguay
Paraguay 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 1979) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2004) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 1976) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1994) | |
| 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 |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 2.5 (58.5%) |
| 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
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, Paraguay described the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as ‘a milestone in the evolution of international law’. It is ‘based on the recognition of the human suffering caused by nuclear weapons and their catastrophic consequences, thus providing a humanitarian approach to nuclear disarmament’, it said. It called on states that are not yet party to the Treaty to sign and ratify it ‘without delay’.1
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee session in July 2024, Paraguay expressed its ‘unequivocal support for strengthening the [NPT]’, which is, in its view, ‘enhanced and complemented’ by the TPNW and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). It noted that nuclear-weapon states’ continued investments in the modernisation of their nuclear arsenals are ‘incompatible’ with the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons.2
Recommendations
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Paraguay should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Paraguay should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.