The Democratic Republic of the Congo deposited its instrument of ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 12 October 2005. Thirty days after that date, on 11 November 2005, the Democratic Republic of the Congo will become the 175th State Party to the Convention.
The OPCW seeks to achieve universal adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Moreover, the OPCW has established a working relationship with the African Union in order to achieve the Convention’s full and effective implementation in Africa.
In November 2003, the OPCW adopted an Action Plan on Universality with the goal of achieving the membership of all nations by 2007, ten years after the entry into force of the CWC. To encourage and support nations that are preparing to join the Convention, the OPCW conducts focused bilateral and multilateral outreach activities in Africa in collaboration with the African Union and OPCW Member States. Since the Universality Action Plan’s adoption, six African States have become OPCW Member States: Libya, Chad, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When the Convention enters into force for the Democratic Republic of Congo, a total of 44 African States will be party to the Convention.
With the ratification of the CWC by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, thirteen of the fourteen members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are Member States of the OPCW. The other members of SADC that are States Parties to the CWC are Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force on 29 April 1997. Adherence to the CWC makes an important contribution to international peace and security and global anti-terrorism efforts, providing concrete benefits for all OPCW Member States. The Convention’s implementing agency, the OPCW, aims to achieve four principal objectives: to eliminate chemical weapons and to prevent their re emergence, to implement a credible non-proliferation regime, to provide international assistance and protection in the event of the use, or threat of use, of chemical weapons, and to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry.
The OPCW urges all States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the CWC to do so as soon as possible.
61/2005