On 28 June 2005, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the African Union, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR), visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
President Obasanjo was met by OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, who briefed the President on the status of implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, in particular on the African continent.
Following his meeting with Director-General Pfirter, President Obasanjo was welcomed to the Forty-First Session of the Executive Council by its Chairman, H.E. Alfonso M. Dastis, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Spain to the OPCW.
In his address to the Executive Council, President Obasanjo noted that his visit marked the first visit of an African Union Chairman to the OPCW headquarters, which is a demonstration of the African Union’s interest in achieving peace and stability on the African continent. In that mission, the African Union expresses its support, solidarity and deep commitment to the objective and purpose of the OPCW in ensuring global peace for all by eliminating an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
He urged that in the interest of global security the OPCW, its verification regime and the national implementation of the CWC be strengthened, thereby preventing these dangerous materials from falling into the wrong hands. President Obasanjo underlined the importance of the complete destruction of the declared chemical weapons stockpiles within the stipulated deadlines to maintain the CWC’s credibility and guarantee the fulfilment of its purpose.
President Obasanjo underscored that the spread of weapons of mass destruction can only be prevented through the collective commitment of all nations. He reiterated the African Union’s long-standing resolve to promote disarmament and to ensure that the African continent is a Zone free of chemical weapons. He noted that 43 African States were party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), while the remaining ten African States that had not acceded or ratified the CWC were hampered in doing so by a lack of resources or due to the effects of conflict.
President Obasanjo stressed the importance of a cooperation agreement between the African Union and the OPCW, which would serve to facilitate national capacity-building by African Member States, and, in particular, to provide the coordination necessary to establish effective, national means to prevent the spread of chemical weapons. These measures would represent a major step towards making the world a safer place for humankind.
In conclusion, President Obasanjo assured the OPCW that it can count upon the African Union’s support in its mission, and in the same measure, the African Union would count upon the OPCW to stand by Africa in its implementation of the CWC.
28/2005