10th Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 18, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

The Peace and Security Department of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, invites journalists to the opening ceremony of the Tenth Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in Africa, on Tuesday, 22 May 2012, at 9:00 a.m. at the new African Union Conference Complex.

The Meeting, organized in partnership with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), will be attended by the African States Parties to the CWC, Ministers and dignitaries from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, representatives of the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union and other invited guests.

The Meeting, which will be held under the theme “Full Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in Africa: The Role of Regional and Sub-Regional Institutions”, will serve as a forum for States Parties in the region to present their needs for assistance in relation to their pending obligations and indicate what assistance they could offer to other States Parties in the region.

It will also serve to determine what role the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), can play for the full implementation of the CWC in Africa. The meeting is also expected to provide opportunities for participants to confer, network and share experiences on how national obligations may be fulfilled.

Journalists are invited to cover the opening and the closing ceremony on Tuesday, 22 and Thursday 24 May 2012 starting from 9:00am. The program is attached.

For Further Information consult the AU website: www.au.int