Director of the African Union’s Anti-Terrorism Centre visits the OPCW

On 15 February 2006 , H.E. Mr Abdelhamid Boubazine, Director ad-Interim of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.

During his visit, Director Boubazine and OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, discussed the present status of the Organisation's cooperation with international organisations, such as the United Nations and the African Union, in the common effort to achieve universal adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention. In their meeting, Director-General Pfirter underscored the fundamental importance of full and effective national application of the chemical weapons ban, in particular to prevent terrorists from acquiring and using toxic chemical s as weapons.

Director Boubazine concurred with Director-General Pfirter that the recently concluded Memorandum of Understanding between the African Union and the OPCW will enhance the African Union's capacity to ensure that the African continent will become a zone free of chemical weapons, thus contributing to the continent's security.

Director Boubazine and Director-General Pfirter agreed to pursue closer cooperation between the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism and the OPCW's Technical Secretariat in the shared endeavour to promote peace and to enhance international security.

During his visit at the OPCW headquarters, Director Boubazine had the opportunity to meet senior OPCW officials, as well as to address the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism. He received briefings on the support the OPCW is providing at the request of the United Nations, namely the continuing cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee, established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1373, the 1540 Committee, established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1540, as well as the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, established by United Nation's Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism was officially established by the African Union in Algiers , Algeria in October 2004. The Centre provides technical expertise on the prevention of terrorism to the Commission of the African Union, as well as facilitating international cooperation to enhance African States' capacity to address the threat of terrorism.

PR7 / 2006

Categories: Africa, OPCW and the UN, Terrorism