The Caribbean Community has reaffirmed the urgent necessity of prohibiting nuclear weapons testing, use, and proliferation, emphasising that this imperative has never been more pressing than in this century.
Speaking at a regional workshop for state signatories in Latin America and the Caribbean under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Framework on 3 April in Jamaica, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Foreign and Community Relations, Ms. Elizabeth Solomon highlighted the heightened nuclear threat in this era marked by accelerated climate change and the direct and indirect possession of nuclear weapons by some states.
Describing the potential use of nuclear weapons as an “anathema” to CARICOM, she stressed the Region’s commitment to preserving its status as a Zone of Peace.
“We have retained and continue to do everything in our individual and collective power to maintain this Region as a Zone of Peace,” she stated, noting the critical role of the Treaty in reinforcing global norms against nuclear testing, which directly bolsters Zone of Peace.
Ms. Solomon also stressed CARICOM’s strong opposition to the transshipment of nuclear waste through the Caribbean Sea, citing environmental and economic concerns.“We take a strong stance against the transshipment of nuclear waste because of the possible negative effects of a nuclear accident on the delicate land and sea ecosystems of the Caribbean,” she stated.
Beyond nuclear disarmament, ASG Solomon highlighted the valuable scientific and civil applications of CTBTO-managed data. Given the Caribbean’s vulnerability to natural disasters, she said access to seismic data and collaboration on tsunami warning systems and volcanic activity detection, could prove invaluable for coastal and other vulnerable communities.
In this context, she said that successful tsunami warning models developed with Chile, Honduras, and Venezuela are frameworks worth replicating across the Caribbean.
Welcoming the CTBTO’s return to the Region, she recalled previous workshops in Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica, which were instrumental in securing ratification of the Treaty by several CARICOM countries.
She commended the fact that all states in CARICOM, Latin America, and the Caribbean have ratified the CTBT, signifying the Region’s collective commitment to nuclear disarmament.
Noting the capacity constraints faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in meeting international obligations, the ASG welcomed the National Data Centres for All (NDCs4All) initiative that seeks to address capacity and knowledge gaps on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.