Preparatory Commission for the                                                PC-X/22

Organisation for the Prohibition                                                7 April 1995

of Chemical Weapons                                                                     Original:   ENGLISH

            PROGRESS MADE TOWARDS RATIFICATION OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION:  STATEMENT MADE BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION AT THE TENTH SESSION OF THE PREPARATORY COMMISSION FOR THE ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

The South African delegation wishes to inform the Commission about the progress made in South Africa with regard to implementing and ratifying the Chemical Weapons Convention. We believe that transparency in the process made towards entry into force by Member States will encourage signatory States, especially those without any declarable chemical industries, to ratify the Convention.

South Africa has followed a slightly different approach to implementing and ratifying the Convention  than most Member States.

As a signatory State which possesses advanced technologies which could be used in weapons of mass destruction, including declarable chemical industries, the South African Government promulgated the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act during 1993.  This Act, which is also the enabling legislation for the Chemical Weapons Convention, provides for the establishment of the National Authority as required by the Convention. The South African Council for Non-Proliferation has already been established and also regulates the import and export of controlled goods in terms of South Africa's international non-proliferation obligations.

The South African enabling legislation gives the Minister of Trade and Industry wide powers to declare goods to be controlled goods. The Council for Non-Proliferation, which also falls under the purview of the Minister, is in the process of finalising implementation plans in anticipation of entry into force of the Convention. The Council, as the designated National Authority, will, furthermore, declare at least those chemicals scheduled under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to be controlled goods in terms of South African legislation. This process will be set in motion as soon as the South African Parliament agrees to ratify the Convention.

In this regard, the South African delegation wishes to inform the Commission that the Cabinet of the Government of National Unity decided on March 1 1995 to propose to Parliament that South Africa should ratify the Convention as soon as possible. The decision to ratify the Convention will be taken by passing a resolution during the current Parliamentary Session, which will be concluded at the end of June 1995.

South Africa should, in all probability, deposit its instruments of ratification before the Eleventh Session of the Commission. South Africa thereby wishes to encourage other signatory States, especially those from our continent, to also ratify so as to accelerate the process towards entry into force of the Convention.

Finally, South Africa wishes to encourage other Member States, especially those with chemical weapons, to do their utmost to set the pace towards entry into force.

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