Country Profile: Guyana
BASIC FACTS
Guyana is a Member Country of the NAM Movement since 1970
Officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Guyanais a parliamentary republicsituated in Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean.
Capital: Georgetown
Guyanadoes not currently operate any nuclear power plants but according to the IAEA, Guyana stands as the first country in the Caribbean to engage with the IAEA on a technical expert mission surrounding emergency preparedness and response related to nuclear and radiological materials. In this capacity, and recognizing the benefits of ionizing radiation, Guyana has enhanced its preparation for a national radiation emergency plan, becoming equipped in the best practices related to Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR).
In partnership with key government stakeholders – namely the Guyana’s Ministries of Public Health and Public Infrastructure, the Environmental Protection Agency, Civil Defence Commission, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Maritime Administration and the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, according to the IAEA – technical experts have emphasized the importance of Caribbean countries to reinforce their national capacities to manage nuclear and radiological materials. In this regard, Guyana maintains a strong and model commitment in strengthening nuclear and radiological safety.
Guyana has signed, ratified, and enforced the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in September of 2017, September of 2017, and January of 2021, respectively.
TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS:
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IAEA Membership (2015)5
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Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) (1969)
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Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (1993)
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Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) (2001)
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Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) (2021)
AGREEMENTS (In force)
- Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (2007)
- Revised Supplementary Agreements Concerning the Provision of Technical Assistance by the IAEA (RSA) (2019)
- Agreement between the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the IAEA for the Application of Safeguards in connection with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1997)
REGIONAL GROUPS
- Member of the G-77
- Member of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
- Member of the Organization of American States (OAS)
- Member of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in the Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)
RECENT REPRESENTATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
- Chairperson for the Group of 77 in 1999
- President of the UN General Assembly in 1993
- Vice-Chair of the 73rd First Committee Session in 2018
LINKS
Ratification of Treaties & Membership in International Organizations Related to Disarmament