OPANAL, JOINT DECLARATION ON THE TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

"The Member States of the Council of OPANAL, the Observer States thereof and in general the States that are Parties to the Treaty on the Ban of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco), with regard to the imminent passage through the zone of application of the afore mentioned Treaty of a maritime transport of radioactive waste from France to Japan through the Panama Canal and in the context of the good relations that exist with the Governments of Japan, France and the United Kingdom,

DECLARE,

1. Reiterate their profound concern for the risks that are represented by this type of transit of highly radioactive wastes to the health and the lives of the inhabitants and to the preservation of the marine and terrestrial environment of the region

2. Express furthermore their deep concern for the probability that in the future other shipments with similarly dangerous cargoes could use this or other navigation routes close to its coasts, for the risks that they represent not only to the national maritime areas but also especially to the populations and the ecosystem in general, in a region recognised as the first Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the world.

3. Confirm their intention to consider if necessary the adoption of measures granted by the norms of International Law as well as the respective national legislations on the matter, to provide for and protect the health of its inhabitants and the marine ecosystem in the zones subject to its jurisdiction.

4. Call on the International Community to reinforce within the International Organisations the strict regulation of the transport of this type of radioactive material, in such a way that it necessarily implies the obligation to give guarantees on the safety measures, prevention of contamination, contingency plans in case of disasters and the exchange of opportune information with interested countries.

5. Formulate a firm call to the Governments of France, Japan and the United Kingdom to commit to observing fully the legal international requirements on the issue, above all the arrangements of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

6. Lastly, reaffirm their support to the Declaration of the General Conference of OPANAL on this theme, specifically Resolution CG/Res.299 (XIII) adopted on 27 May of 1993 on the Prevention of Radioactive Contamination of the Marine Environment within the framework of the Treaty of Tlatelolco; the Resolution CG/Res332 (XIV) adopted on 29 March of 1995 on the Maritime Transport of Radioactive Wastes and the Resolution CG/E/Res.386 (E-XII) adopted on 14 November of 1997 on the strengthening of OPANAL, as well as to all other international legal dispositions emitted by other International Organisations on this point.

Mexico, D.F., 5 February 1998."