UN Secretary General Five Point Proposal: Enhancing Nuclear Disarmament in the Latin American and Caribbean Region   (Montevideo, Nov.- 2010) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, the Global Action Against War and the Freidrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation (FES) organized a seminar entitled “Latin America and the Caribbean: Facing Disarmament and Non-proliferation – Opportunities and Challenges”, took place in Montevideo, Uruguay on 8 and 9 November 2010. The seminar, the first of its kind at a regional level, focused on the promotion of an interactive dialogue on the UNSG’s Five Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament among Latin American and Caribbean delegates involved in disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations, high-level officials from within the UN system, academics and active members of civil society. Participants from the region agreed that since the Latin American and the Caribbean region has continuously honoured denuclearization commitments, it is therefore in a unique position to strengthen the disarmament and non-proliferation regime, serving as an example for other regions continuing to struggle with nuclear disarmament in establishing a nuclear weapons free zone. Latin American and Caribbean States could also contribute to other international efforts towards the prohibition of nuclear weapons, and further the efforts of the non-proliferation regime, which is the foundation for the disarmament of nuclear and other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). In this connection, a call was made to rethink the prevalent international security priorities in order to advance the nuclear non-proliferation agenda. Delegates recognized the vital work being undertaken by civil society and the academic community in promoting disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation and the need for effective partnership among governments, regional, international and civil society and academic organizations to serve as a model for future activities in this area. UN-LiREC, in its role as regional disarmament centre, expressed its intention to assist Latin American and Caribbean States in their disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. UN Secretary General Five Points Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament -launched in 2008– called for the following: i) all Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT parties), in particular the nuclear-weapon-states, should be urged to fulfil their obligation under the Treaty to undertake negotiations on effective measures leading to nuclear disarmament; ii) Security Council's permanent members should commence discussions on security issues in the nuclear disarmament process; iii) New efforts need to be undertaken to bring the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) into force, and for the Conference on Disarmament to begin negotiations on a fissile material treaty immediately, without preconditions; iv) nuclear-weapon states are invited to send to the UN Secretariat descriptions of what they are doing to pursue wider dissemination of the information related to national nuclear matters; and v) complementary measures are needed, including the elimination of other types of WMD, new efforts against WMD terrorism, limits on the production and trade in conventional arms; and new weapons bans, including of missiles and space weapons. For further information, please contact: Bárbara Ortiz +51.1.625.9113 [ortiz@unlirec.org].