Guyana? Nuclear weapons? No, but it’s helping to stop them

By Neil Marks
neil@red-hippopotamus-944522.hostingersite.com

It may seem curious to associate Guyana—a peaceful, forest-rich nation on the northern edge of South America—with anything related to “nuclear”, much less nuclear weapons.

Yet, quietly and effectively, this small country, and others in the Caribbean and Latin America, are important participants in international efforts to detect and deter nuclear testing.

How so?

Latin America and the Caribbean is the only region in the world where all countries – 33 in total – have signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the international agreement by countries to ban all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes.

“That is a powerful statement from the region,” said Dr Robert Floyd, the Executive Secretary of the CTBT Organisation, told the News Room at a recent workshop in Jamaica.

Guyana has historically supported efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and their associated technology, promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and pursuing nuclear disarmament.

Here is how:

• Guyana signed and ratified the Treaty of Tlatelolco on January 16, 1995. This is the Treaty that establishes Latin America and the Caribbean as a nuclear-weapon-free zone, banning the production, possession, and deployment of nuclear weapons within the region.
• Guyana signed a Nuclear Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on April 9, 1997, in accordance with Article 13 of the Treaty of Tlatelolco
• Guyana acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on October 19, 1993 in Washington
• Guyana signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on September 7, 2000 and ratified it on March 7, 2001
• Guyana signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPAN) on September 20, 2017

Mapping Guyana’s journey toward a nuclear-free world

And so, when Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation hosted a workshop at Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was no surprise Guyana was in attendance.

In the room were Christopher Deen, General Manager of Guyana’s Data Management Authority, and Karmelita Deonarine, who is attached to the Multilateral and Global Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Of course, we don’t have to convince this region about the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,” said Dr Floyd, talking about why the workshop was called.

“…the main reason is to make sure that every country in this region is getting the full benefit that they should be getting from this Treaty.”

How can countries like Guyana, which exists in a region without any kind of nuclear activity, benefit from the Treaty?

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation has developed a state-of-the-art verification system which has proven effective at detecting nuclear explosions.

The organisation says the “treasure trove” of data can be used for civil and scientific applications.

So what kind if verification technologies are deployed by the CTBTO?

Within the Latin American and Caribbean region, there are 43 monitoring facilities. All of the information, feeds back to an International Data Center in Vienna, Austria, which collects data from all regions of the world.

Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, highlighted the practical, everyday benefits derived from the CTBTO’s data.

“This data boosts scientific research to support disaster preparedness, including tsunami early warning systems and environmental monitoring, closely aligned with our region’s Sustainable Development Goals,” she told attendees at the recent Jamaica workshop.

While all 33 countries in our region have ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, some still face challenges in fully benefiting from its resources.

Dr Floyd underscored the importance of establishing National Data Centres to receive and interpret crucial seismic and environmental data.

“At this point, not every country in Latin America and the Caribbean has a National Data Centre,” he noted. Guyana is one of those.

Dr Floyd stressed the CTBTO’s commitment to assist countries, especially small island developing states, to access this technology through regional partnerships.

Last September, at a high-level UN event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affaris, Hugh Todd, called for universal adherence to the treaties, saying the continued existence of nuclear weapons, and the lack of progress on disarmament, “erodes the security of all nations, stokes international tensions and increases the risk of nuclear catastrophe”

For Guyana, like many others in our region vulnerable to natural disasters, the establishment of such a centre could prove invaluable—not just in responding to future tremors, but in bolstering preparedness for tsunamis and other seismic threats.

It would make sense given the country’s role as a participant in international efforts to detect and deter nuclear testing.

Dr Floyd emphasised that Guyana and the entire Latin American and Caribbean region have demonstrated unwavering support for nuclear non-proliferation, rooted in historical experiences and regional solidarity.

“This region has been absolutely rock solid for decades in advocating the stopping of nuclear proliferation,” he explained.

Elizabeth Solomon, Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations at CARICOM, reinforced this point.

“The imperative for the prohibition on nuclear weapons testing, use, and proliferation has never been more pressing,” she said, adding, “CARICOM takes a strong stance against the transshipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea due to potential devastating effects on our delicate ecosystems and economies.”

Ambassador Flávio Roberto Bonzanini, Secretary-General of OPANAL—the agency overseeing nuclear non-proliferation in Latin America and the Caribbean—noted the region’s pioneering legacy.

“Almost six decades ago, our region made history with the Treaty of Tlatelolco—the first treaty to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in a densely populated area,” he remarked proudly. “Latin America and the Caribbean region have long been at the forefront of nuclear disarmament efforts.”