The African Union convened the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government from 8 to 11 July 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique. OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Rogelio Pfirter, participated in the Session to strengthen relations with senior officials of the African Union, African OPCW Member States, African States not Party to the CWC, and regional organisations to facilitate the promotion of universality and the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Africa.
An African Union Decision on the universality and implementation of the Convention was adopted unanimously at the First Summit of the African Union in Durban in July 2002. The Decision calls on the African Union Commission to circulate a report on the progress made on these two issues at the annual meeting of its Executive Council (Ministerial body).
The Director-General’s discussions focused, among other things, on this important element of the cooperation between the Technical Secretariat and the AU Commission and ways and means of strengthening such cooperation. Director-General Pfirter took the opportunity to meet Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the States not Party and to encourage them to join the Convention as soon as possible. 17 African States have not as yet joined the Convention. He held bilateral discussions with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Chad, Comoros, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Somalia and briefed them on the benefits of membership in the Organisation. Positive signals were received from many of the States not Party during these discussions.
The OPCW delegation also held substantive talks with Ambassadors and senior officials of the following States not Party: Cape Verde, Djibouti, Guinea Bissau, Libya and Sao Tomé and Principe. Sao Tomé and Principe deposited its instrument of accession with the United Nations Secretary General on 9 September 2003. Sao Tomé and Principe will become the 154th Sate Party to the Convention on 9 October 2003.
During the summit, the Director-General also held discussions with the Heads and senior officials of the following regional organisations: the Arab League, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). Separate discussions were also held with key officials of the Commission of the African Union, including with the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Said Djinnit and the outgoing Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Amara Essy.