Africa Advances Chemical Weapons Laws at Key OPCW Meet
Senior government officials and legal experts from across Africa gathered in Namibia on 28 and 29 April 2025 for a landmark regional conference to accelerate the adoption of comprehensive national legislations to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The two-day event, jointly organised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Government of Namibia, brought together delegates from 23 African countries that have yet to fully enshrine the CWC’s requirements into their domestic legal systems. It featured an innovative and unique approach, including fostering the capacities of representatives in areas of advocacy for passing legislation and the dynamics of parliamentary proceedings.
Addressing delegates during the opening session, Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister Natangwe Ithete remarked, “As Member States to the Convention, we all have collective responsibility to uphold the international norm against the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons established under the Convention. Signing and ratifying the CWC commits countries to the verified destruction of all stockpiles of chemical weapons.”
There is near-universal adherence of African countries to the CWC, which bans the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. However, almost half still need to enact the robust national laws required for full compliance. As of July 2024, 18 out of the 52 African States Parties to the Convention still lack any national implementing legislation, while nine others have only partially addressed the Convention’s obligations in their legal frameworks. The OPCW is working with national authorities in the region to bridge these gaps.
https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2025/05/africa-pushes-ahead-chemical-weapons-legislation-landmark-opcw-conference