United Nations Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa to hold

 

its Ministerial Meeting, 14-18 May, in SÃo TomÉ and PrÍncipe

NEW YORK, 9 May (Office for Disarmament Affairs) -- The United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa will hold its twenty-fifth ministerial meeting in São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe, from 14 to 18 May.

The twenty-fifth ministerial meeting will consider recent developments in the geopolitical and security situation in selected Member States, as well as confidence-building measures and cooperation on security matters among Member States of the Committee.  It will also examine disarmament-related and armament limitation programmes in Central Africa, as well as the institutional evolution of the subregional structures and mechanisms for peace and security, which pertain to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).  In addition, the Committee will exchange views on its programme of work so as to revitalize its work.

Participants in the meeting will include ministers and senior governmental experts from the departments of foreign affairs, defence and security as well as delegates from ECCAS, United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) and United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

The Committee, whose major objective is to promote peace and security in the Central African region through confidence-building measures including arms limitation and disarmament, was established by the Secretary-General on 28 May 1992, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 46/37 B of 6 December 1991.  Its membership comprises all 11 countries of ECCAS, namely Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and São Tomé and Príncipe.  The Committee meets twice a year at the ministerial level, and it also organizes conferences, seminars and workshops on various issues related to peace and security in the Central Africa region.

The Committee’s current Bureau is composed as follows: President -- Rwanda; First Vice-President -- São Tomé and Príncipe; Second Vice-President -- Angola; and Rapporteur -- Gabon.  The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs serves as its Secretariat.

For more information, please contact Ivor Fung, Secretary of the Committee, United Nations Regional Centre for Peace & Disarmament in Africa, tel.: +228 253 5000, e-mail: fungi@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record