Tenth Session

(3 - 7 April 1995)

CAMEROON

REGIONAL SEMINAR ON NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION - YAOUNDE, CAMEROON,

13-15 FEBRUARY 1995

            The Yaounde Regional Seminar on National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, in cooperation with the Provisional Technical Secretariat.

            The following States participated in the Seminar:  Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland and Togo.  The Seminar was also attended by guest speakers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the USA and SIPRI, as well as by senior executives of the Provisional Technical Secretariat.

            The main goal of the Seminar was to provide a forum for States Signatory of the Convention in the region to informally exchange views on the preparations for entry into force of the Convention at a national level, and to gain a better understanding of the tasks involved.

            Five panels were set up in the course of this Seminar to focus on:

            -           The advantages of being a State Party to the CWC;

            -           Progress in national implementation;

            -           Cooperation between National Authorities;

            -           Technical cooperation, trade and Article XI issues;

            -           Identification of declarable facilities;

            -           Declarations and declaration formats;

            -           Routine inspections in the chemical industry;

            -           Regime of confidentiality under the CWC;

            -           Identification of export/import trade in chemicals and collection of data;

            -           African trade in scheduled chemicals;

-           Information requirements needed by National Authorities to support implementation efforts;

            -           Training of National Authority personnel, etc.

            Each panel included the presentation of papers by national delegations and guest speakers and was followed by discussions.

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