The OPCW co-organized two workshops in Luanda on 22 and 23 April 2013 that were designed to support Angola’s accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC).
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Angola, H.E. Mr Georges Chikoti, opened the workshops by confirming his Government’s intention to accede to both conventions, noting the importance that the Government of Angola attaches to international disarmament treaties.*
The two workshops shared similar agendas which covered the main articles of each Convention, CWC and BWC National Authorities, national implementation, declarations and submission of confidence-building measures, international co-operation and assistance, and the accession processes.
The CWC workshop was a day of national awareness in national CWC implementation with more than 30 participants, including senior representatives from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Industry, Interior, Defense, Justice, Transport, Commerce, Finance (Customs), Police, and the Humanitarian Demining and Humanitarian Assistance Commission(CNIDAH).
The OPCW Director of International Cooperation and Assistance, Mr. Mark Albon, expressed the OPCW’s support to Foreign Minister Chikoti in helping Angola to fulfil its obligations under the CWC as soon as its instrument of ratification is signed.
* See media coverage of the Foreign Minister’s statement in English and Portuguese.