Montevideo, April 9, 2025 — The twelfth edition of the OPANAL Course on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation was held in Montevideo from April 7 to 9, organized in collaboration with the Diplomatic Academy “Artigas Institute of Foreign Service.”
This national capacity-building program brought together 37 participants from various Uruguayan institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Mining, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, the Center for Advanced National Studies, and the University of the Republic.
Over the course of three intensive days, participants deepened their knowledge of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as the main legal instruments within it. They also addressed the importance of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones, particularly those in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the history of nuclear testing and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Likewise, at the invitation of the Secretariat, the course featured valuable presentations by Uruguayan diplomats with extensive experience in disarmament and nonproliferation issues. Ambassador José Luis Cancela and Second Secretary Matías Eustathiou shared their professional experiences and reflections on current challenges in the field, enriching the exchange with a high-level national and international perspective.
In collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons and their relationship to international humanitarian law were analyzed. The intersectionality between gender and disarmament was also discussed, highlighting the need to incorporate an inclusive perspective in this area.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Counselor Felipe Llantada, Deputy Director of the Artigas Institute of Foreign Service, and the Secretary General of OPANAL, Ambassador Flávio Roberto Bonzanini, offered welcoming remarks. Both emphasized the importance of disarmament and nonproliferation education, Uruguay's commitment to these principles, and the country's historic leadership in this area, embodied by figures such as Ambassador Héctor Gros Espiell, former Secretary General of OPANAL.
Within the framework of the visit, OPANAL also gave a lecture at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the Republic entitled “The Treaty of Tlatelolco in the current context of international security”, aimed at students interested in security and international relations. The talk offered an overview of the nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime and highlighted the key role that Latin America and the Caribbean play in promoting global peace and security.
