Legal workshop for Central African National Authorities held in cameroon.5-7 July 2005.
The Government of the Republic of Cameroon and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) jointly organised a legal workshop for Central African National Authorities in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 5 to 7 July 2005. The workshop was attended by 38 participants from 10 States Parties (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe), as well as a representative of a Signatory State that has not yet ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) the Democratic Republic of Congo, participated in this workshop.
This workshop was held pursuant to the decision taken at the Eighth Session of the OPCW Conference of the States Parties, approving a plan of action regarding the implementation of Article VII obligations.
The workshop provided practical assistance for Central African CWC States Parties on legal matters pertaining to the national implementation of the CWC, in particular drafting comprehensive national legislation, in addition to the review of existing legislation. It also provided the Secretariat with an opportunity to interact with participating States Parties, regarding the development of their internal time-tables to adopt necessary measures and implement their obligations under the Plan of Action. This interaction with participating States Parties allowed the Secretariat the opportunity to discuss additional assistance that States Parties may require to implement the Plan of Action.
On 5 July, the workshop was opened by Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cameroon. In his remarks Dr Dion Ngute noted that “the mission of the OPCW is to create a world free of chemical weapons. To date, in pursuit of this objective, 169 States, of which 43 are African States, have adhered to the Chemical Weapons Convention…We strongly urge African countries particularly those in our sub-region who have not yet done so, to adhere to the CWC. It goes without saying that Africa needs the OPCW. For this reason, we are very pleased to note that international cooperation programmes for States Parties to the Convention in the developing world are already in place.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr John Makhubalo, Director of the Secretariat’s International Cooperation and Assistance Division, said that “with less than four months before the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC in November this year, Member States that have yet to complete their obligations will need to redouble their efforts in order to meet November 2005 deadline. Many Member States have taken steps towards fulfilling their obligations and in many States Parties, including a large number of those participating in the Legal Workshop in Yaounde , the process of drafting national legislation is underway. This process of drafting needs to be hastened if the November 2005 deadline is to be met. We hope that your interaction with the OPCW experts, as well as discussion with experts from other States Parties attending the workshop will provide you the necessary impetus to achieve your endeavours.”
The legal workshop makes an important contribution to the Secretariat’s efforts to assist Member States in implementing their Article VII obligations in time for the 10th Session of the Conference of the States Parties scheduled to be held from 7-11 November 2005.
The workshop was closed on 6 July, by Mr N. Adoum Gargoum, Deputy Minister in charge of Islamic Affairs.
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