Venezuela
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2023, Venezuela expressed its hope that the TPNW’s entry into force would ‘bring us closer, sooner rather than later, to the global objective of eliminating nuclear weapons’. It extended ‘an invitation to those States that have not yet done so to consider signing this important instrument, with a view to achieving its early universalisation’.[1]
TPNW Status
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Test | Compliant | |
| Possess or stockpile | 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 (2021) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| 1MSP delegation size (% women) | 3 (0%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) treaties | |
|---|---|
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1970, Tlatelolco) |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1975) |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2002) |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1978) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1997) |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | Yes (11 Mar 1982) |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | No |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
Venezuela participated in the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW (2MSP) in November and December 2023, where it voiced its ‘firm commitment’ for all efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, ‘faithful to our Bolivarian peace diplomacy’, and described the Treaty as an ‘important instrument that is synonymous with peace, stability and security for all our peoples and nations’.2
Venezuela was one of the co-sponsors for the 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which 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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Venezuela should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Venezuela should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.
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Venezuela should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol with the IAEA.