Mexico welcomes the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the entry into force today of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the first multilateral nuclear disarmament agreement in more than two decades. It clearly establishes an international norm that prohibits nuclear weapons due to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of their use.

Nuclear weapons are morally and politically unacceptable and now, with the entry into force of the TPNW, they are legally unacceptable.  Along with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and regional agreements establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will contribute to efforts to achieve and maintain a world free of nuclear weapons. 

The States that have ratified the agreement may not, under any circumstance, develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Mexico believes that the TPNW will complement and strengthen the existing nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime, the cornerstone of which is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The TPNW was adopted on July 7, 2017 in New York with the support of 122 countries. Mexico was the fourth country to deposit its instrument of ratification, on January 16, 2018. On October 24, 2020, Honduras deposited its instrument of ratification, becoming the 50th State party to the TPNW. According to Article 15 of the treaty, this led to the treaty entering into force 90 days later.   

Mexico reaffirms its full commitment to nuclear disarmament and to promoting the universalization and implementation of this treaty, as a sign of Mexico's renewed multilateral foreign policy, led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, which has led us to promote and defend the most pressing and noble causes of humanity. 

To date, the TPNW has 86 signatures and 51 ratifications. There are 28 Latin America and Caribbean signatory states, of which 21 have ratified it.  In keeping with its historical tradition of nuclear disarmament, the Latin American and Caribbean region has therefore contributed two-fifths of the ratifications necessary to achieve the entry into force of this multilateral instrument.