Addis Ababa: On behalf of the leadership of the African Union Commission, I wish to welcome you to Addis Ababa and to the AU Headquarters, in particular, for your second meeting. That this meeting is being held again at the AU is further manifestation of the Commission’s commitment to spare no efforts towards the full operationalization of AFCONE. The convening of the First Ordinary Session of AFCONE in May 2011 was an important step in operationalizing the Commission and in giving effect to the objectives and provisions of the Treaty of Pelindaba.

This step was widely recognized and welcomed by States Parties, the AU as a whole and the wider international community. The 17th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in July 2011, expressed satisfaction at the successful holding of the meeting and encouraged the States Parties to the Treaty to provide AFCONE with the necessary support to ensure the early and effective commencement of its activities.

I am glad to note that since the First Ordinary Session, five Member States have deposited their instruments of ratification of the Treaty, bringing the total number of States Parties to thirty six.

The Chairperson of the Commission, as the depository of the Treaty, has worked relentlessly towards implementing the relevant conclusions of AFCONE inaugural meeting. Allow me to provide a brief overview of the efforts made so far in this respect.

Regarding the appointment of the Executive Secretary, and as you would recall, AFCONE had had agreed that the position should be filled through a competitive process, administered by the AU Commission and conducted in compliance with its rules and regulations. Consequently, the Commission launched the recruitment process, and the position was advertised mid‐2011. A Panel was put in place to review applications, and short‐listed the most qualified candidates.

On 20 February of this year, short‐listed candidates were interviewed and the Panel has submitted its report and recommendations. Pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Treaty, and on the basis of the report and recommendations of the selection Panel, the Chairperson of the Commission will undertake consultations with the Chairperson of AFCONE, in order to complete the process.

The Commission has also worked towards concluding the host agreement with the Government of the Republic of South Africa. Over the past months, the Office of our Legal Counsel and the South African side have been working together to finalize this important document. We look forward to this afternoon’s presentation, by colleagues from the South African delegation, on the preparations being made to host the Executive Secretariat of AFCONE, which will be based in Pretoria.

Allow me to point out that all the documents which will be discussed in the course of the day, namely the rules of procedure, structure, guidelines for the programme of work, terms of reference of the Executive Secretary and the proposed scale of assessment, were reviewed during the First Ordinary Session of AFCONE, during which valuable and insightful inputs were made.

In consultation with the Chairperson and members of AFCONE, the Chairperson of the Commission will convene the Second Conference of States Parties in November 2012. The draft agenda of that Conference, which will be discussed in the course of your deliberations, will subsequently be shared by the Commission with the States Parties on behalf of AFCONE. The Commission will make all other necessary arrangements for the successful convening of the Conference.

The establishment of AFCONE has generated high expectations, from both States Parties and within the wider international community, on the important role that it can play in all nuclear related issues: monitoring of compliance by the State Parties with their non‐proliferation obligations; nuclear and radiation safety and security; nuclear sciences and technology; partnership and technical cooperation.

I would like to renew the AU Commission’s commitment to provide AFCONE with all the support needed to ensure its full operationalization and effective functioning.

• Second meeting of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, 26 July 2012, Addis Ababa.  Speech by El-Ghassim Wane, Director Peace and Security, African Union.
• Related:  African Union press release.

The African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE), established within the framework of the African Nuclear Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Pelindaba, held today, at the African Union (AU) Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, its second ordinary session, to finalize and adopt key documents required for its early and full operationalization. The first ordinary session of AFCONE took place in Addis Ababa, on 4 May 2011.

Today's meeting adopted the rules of procedure, structure, programme of work and budget of AFCONE. The programme of work focusses on the following areas: monitoring of compliance by the State Parties with their non-proliferation obligations; nuclear and radiation safety and security; nuclear sciences and technology; partnership and technical cooperation.

Regarding the budget, the meeting agreed to an amount of approximately US $800,000 per year for the period 2012-2014. The meeting also agreed on the scale of assessment for contributions to the budget of AFCONE. The conclusions reached will be submitted to the second Conference of State Parties, scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa, in November 2012.

The meeting provided an opportunity to review and adopt the Terms of Reference of AFCONE Executive Secretary, who is in charge of the day-to-day activities of the Commission. The representatives of the Government South Africa seized the opportunity to provide an update on the steps being taken for the establishment of AFCONE Executive Secretariat, which will be based in Pretoria. The Government of South Africa will provide the required facilities in terms of office space and equipment.

The host agreement is being finalized between the AU Commission and South Africa. The Treaty of Pelindaba, which entered into force on 15 July 2009, establishes Africa as a zone free of nuclear weapons. It mandates AFCONE to monitor compliance by the State Parties with their obligations under the Treaty, as well as to promote the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology in various fields, including health, agriculture, industry and energy.

The meeting was opened by Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa, Chairperson of AFCONE, and El-Ghassim Wane, Director of the AU Peace and Security Department. It was attended by eleven of the twelve members of AFCONE, who were elected for a three-year term at the First Conference of States Parties, held in Addis Ababa, on 4 November 2010.

The AFCONE Commissioners are from the following countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Libya, Senegal, South Africa, Togo and Tunisia.

Before the meeting, the Chairperson of AFCONE met with the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Amb. Ramtane Lamamra, to exchange views on the efforts to fully operationalize AFCONE and on the overall implementation process of the Treaty of Pelindaba.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201207261025.html