tawandamusarurwa
Sunday Mail Reporter
REPRESENTATIVES from 45 countries will this week converge on Harare for a three-day high-level regional meeting on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The indaba is being hosted by the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, as well as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The OPCW is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a multilateral treaty that prohibits proliferation of chemical weapons and lobbies for their destruction.
The convention came into force on April 29, 1997.
In a statement, the OPCW technical secretariat said the meeting will facilitate the exchange of ideas among African countries.
“This regional meeting of national authorities will serve as a forum for state parties to discuss needs, priorities, actions taken and best practices in relation to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention at the national, sub-regional and regional levels,” reads the statement.
National authorities are entities within each state party responsible for implementing the convention at country level.
They are typically a government department or agency responsible for chemical weapons, disarmament and national security.
“Participants will also discuss the capacity-building support provided within the framework of the fifth phase of the OPCW programme to strengthen cooperation with Africa on the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as the needs and priorities of the sixth phase of the Africa programme.”
The fifth phase of the OPCW programme (2021-2025) seeks to address challenges that remain in the fight to eliminate chemical weapons, including enhancing verification and compliance with the convention.
“The expected results of the meeting include: ensuring that participants are provided with relevant and updated information on the status of the implementation of the convention in the region.
“In addition, the participants and the secretariat will discuss and agree upon needs and priorities of the sixth phase of the Africa programme.”
Zimbabwe and OPCW jointly hosted a workshop on chemical safety and security last year.
The African Union and OPCW signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in 2006, which saw Africa receiving support to improve regional chemical convention policies.
Bongani Ndlovu