Angola plans to strengthen Biological Weapons Convention

Angola intends to strengthen its participation in the activities of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Verification Mechanism (VEREX), an intention manifested on December 7 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Margarida Izata, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations based in the European country.

On a note issued by the Angolan Permanent Mission to the International Organizations based in Switzerland, Margarida Izata explains that the intention is to continue working for international peace and security. Speaking at the meeting of the state parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the diplomat said that the member countries need to find a consensual basis. 

One of the focus of such a basis, she explained, is the creation of an international environment that enables a greater access of developing countries to technology, since most of those countries do not possess biological weapons.

Angola ratified the convention three years ago and since then it has focused on the creation of a National Authority to deal with such issue.

The BWC is a multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of various types of weapons. The Geneva Protocol prohibits use but not possession or development of chemical and biological weapons. Currently, the BWC is comprised of 189 member states.

With inputs from agency.