A regional workshop on assistance and protection against chemical weapons for representatives of States Parties in Africa was co-organized by the Government of Mozambique and the OPCW in Maputo from 18 to 20 March 2013. A total of 28 participants from 17 State Parties* participated.
The workshop was conducted under the OPCW’s Programme to Strengthen Cooperation with Africa (“Africa Programme”) and was designed for planners and managers who are responsible for protection programmes against chemical weapons or involved in chemical emergency response activities.
The workshop provided information on the Chemical Weapons Convention and its provisions, with a special focus on the rights and obligations of States Parties under Article X, submission of declarations of protection programmes, analysis of Article X weaknesses and problem areas, an overview of assistance and protection activities in the region and development of emergency response plans. Representatives from African States Parties made presentations to share experiences and lessons learned from their respective countries.
* Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe