Country Profile: Honduras
BASIC FACTS
Honduras is a Member Country of the NAM Movement since 1995
Officially the Republic of Honduras, Hondurasis a presidential republicsituated in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Seaand the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean).
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Honduras does not currently operate any nuclear power plants but has greatly benefited from the technical cooperation and support from the IAEA, which has provided the Government of Honduras the knowledge required to appropriately implement and handle radiological sources. Through this agreement, the IAEA has improved Honduras’ capacity-building on the transfer of radioactive sources from the country’s central storage facilities, which has been primarily used in the mining industry – in the El Mochito mine. The mine has been operating since 1948 and used“nuclear gauges for level and density measurements.” With IAEA support, Honduras has successfully removed all legacy radioactive material from its main mines, reducing the dangers of transferring radiological waste into metal scrap, greatly enhancing radiological security in the nation. Parallel to these successes, in 2016, Honduras’ General Directorate of Radiological Safety was established.
Additionally, under the IAEA Atoms for Peace and Development program, Haiti has achieved notable successes in the peaceful applications of nuclear technology. In 2017, Honduras inaugurated its first public brachytherapy center, leveraging radiological advancements to increase cancer treatment for all patients. Finally, in 2019, Haiti’s National Commission of Atomic Energy was established, ensuring Haiti’s commitment to improving national capabilities in the use of nuclear technologies for the achievement of many national priorities.
Honduras has signed, ratified, and enforced the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in September of 2017, October of 2020, and January of 2021, respectively.
TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
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IAEA Membership (2003)
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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) (1973)
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Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) (2003)
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Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) (2021)
AGREEMENTS (In force)
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Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (2004)
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Revised Supplementary Agreements Concerning the Provision of Technical Assistance by the IAEA (RSA) (2007)
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Agreement to further extend the Co-operation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL) (2020)
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Application of safeguards in connection with the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (with Protocol) (1975)
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Protocol Additional to the Agreement between the Republic of Honduras and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (2017)
REGIONAL GROUPS
- Member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)
- Member of the G-77
- Member of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
- Member of the Organization for American States (OAS) since 1948
RECENT REPRESENTATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
- Chair of the 2008 session of the United Nations First Committee
LINKS
Ratification of Treaties & Membership in International Organizations Related to Disarmament
Country List : Office of Legal Affairs : IAEA
Honduras | Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (icanw.org)