PGA Member Honorable Députée Béatrice Epaye has informed PGA on October 16th that, further to extensive consultations with the PGA Peace & Democracy Team in New York, Hon. Béatrice Epaye, as Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly of the Central African Republic (CAR), has written a letter to H.E. Mr. Charles Doubane, Foreign Minister of Central African Republic.
Hon. Epaye has kindly shared a copy of the letter with PGA, urging the Government of CAR to proceed to ratification of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, in the very near future.
Content of the letter in English:
His Excellency, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and of
Central Africans Abroad.
Bangui
Subject: Emergency related to the Ratification of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction.
Excellency, Your Excellency,
Pending receipt of a formal copy of the "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and their Destruction", from the President of the National Assembly, please find enclosed a copy of this Instrument as well as a list of countries that have already ratified or ratified it.
I have the honor to inform you that it is urgent for the Government to deposit this Instrument within a short period of time on the Bureau of the National Assembly in order to allow Parliament to examine it for the purposes of its Ratification before the of the 39th Annual Forum of the Global Action of Parliamentarians (PGA), on the theme of "Prevention of Violent Extremism and Mass Atrocities: The Role of Parliamentarians" of the Global Action of Parliamentarians (PGA) which will take place from 27 to 28 November 2017 at the City Hall of Milan, Italy, so that the Central African Republic is now one of the states that have ratified it.
I note that this Convention has been signed by the Central African Republic (CAR) since 1972.
Therefore, in view of the current situation in CAR, which is very far back, especially with regard to the precariousness and volatility of the situation it is going through, I believe that it needs the support of the other sister states, which is also reflected in the Ratification of the Agreements, Treaties, Conventions, etc. particularly in the security field. That is why the ratification of this Convention is of great importance because it will be a legal instrument that will enable the country to combat the introduction and proliferation of bacteriological (biological) weapons in the Central African Republic, on the one hand and to have a deliberative voice at this annual PGA Forum. That is why the ratification of this Convention by our country before the Forum itself is very important.
On the basis of the foregoing, I suggest that you make the necessary administrative and technical arrangements for the Government to send the said Convention to the Parliament to request the authorization of its Ratification.
Please accept, Excellency, Minister, the expression of my Distinguished Consideration.
The President
Hon. Emilie Béatrice EPAYE
