OPCW	Conference of the States Parties
Seventh Session				C-7/NAT.2
7 - 11 October 2002					23 July 2002
Provisional Agenda Item 16					Original: ENGLISH
(Unofficial electronic version)

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LETTER FROM THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO

THE TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ORGANISATION

FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS,

DATED 23 JULY 2002

“The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa presents its compliments to the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and has the honour to request the latter to circulate the decision of the African Union on the Chemical Weapons Convention.

South Africa, in its capacity as current chair of the African Union, hereby requests the OPCW Technical Secretariat to circulate as an official document of the OPCW, the African Union Decision on the Implementation and Universality of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction – AHG/Dec. 182 (XXXVIII).

Copy of the decision is attached.”

Annex (Original: Arabic, English and French):

African Union:  Decision on the Implementation and Universality of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction – AHG/Dec. 182 (XXXVIII).

Annex

African Union

Decision on the Implementation and Universality of the Convention on

the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use

of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction

AHG/Dec. 182 (XXXVIII)

The Assembly:

1.         TAKES NOTE of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (hereinafter the Convention) that aims to achieve the effective prohibition of the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction,

2.         RECALLS United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/33 of
20 November 2000 which notes with appreciation the ongoing work to achieve the objective and purpose of the Convention, to ensure the full implementation of its provisions and to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among States Parties,

3.         ALSO RECALLS the steadfast position of Africa regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction and in particular to the Pelindaba Treaty,

4.         ACKNOWLEDGES the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop devoted to Africa on the Chemical Weapons Convention held in Khartoum, the Sudan, from
9 to 11 March 2002,

5.         WELCOMES the recommendation for an effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Africa through sustained technical assistance from the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,

6.         ENCOURAGES the call to achieve universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention in Africa,

7.         REQUESTS the Secretary General to inform Council, at its regular sessions, of developments regarding the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the progress made on the issue of universality.