20101119
ISS

The pan-African body responsible for ensuring that African States and States such as the USA, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom comply with the Treaty of Pelindaba establishing Africa as a nuclear weapon-free zone, took a step closer to being created when the First Conference of Parties was held in Addis Ababa on 4 November 2010.

The Treaty of Pelindaba, which entered into force in July 2009, ensures that nuclear weapons are not developed, produced, tested, or otherwise acquired or stationed anywhere on the African continent or its associated islands. Under Article 12 (Mechanism for Compliance) the Parties agree to establish an African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) in order to ensure compliance with these undertakings and to promote co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The First Conference of Parties was attended by AU Member States Parties to the Treaty of Pelindaba: Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition, representatives of countries not yet party were also present including Egypt, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ghana, Namibia, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sudan and Uganda as well as nuclear weapon states.

Prior to the Conference, the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly's First Committee adopted by consensus a resolution on the Treaty of Pelindaba calling on all African States to ratify it and for the nuclear weapon states to sign and ratify the Protocols concerning them as soon as possible and for relevant states contemplated in Protocol III to the Treaty to take all necessary measures to ensure the speedy application of the Treaty to territories for which they are, de jure or de facto, internationally responsible and that lie within the limits of the geographical zone established in the Treaty.

Speaking on behalf of the United Kingdom and the United States, France, on 27 October noted that France and the United Kingdom have committed themselves not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any African State party to the treaty and that the US has announced that it has began the process of ratification of the protocols annexed to the Treaty.

India, although not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (