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Pelindaba Treaty Resource Page

On the 12th anniversary of the signing in Cairo of the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, CNS announces a new web-based "Pelindaba Treaty resource page."

By the International Organizations and Nonproliferation Program

April 11, 2008
Updated: March 20, 2009

After the ratification process for the African Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone (Pelindaba treaty) nearly died down in the last few years, it is now finally regaining momentum. In February 2008, the Ethiopian parliament ratified the treaty, followed by the Mozambican Assembly of the Republic on March 26. Both governments have since deposited their instruments of ratification with the African Union — the depository for the treaty. With these two ratifications in the first quarter of 2008, this year has already brought as many ratifications as the whole of 2007 — after only one ratification in 2006. Three more ratifications are necessary for the Pelindaba treaty to enter into force and for Africa to officially become a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.

April 11, 2008 marked the 12th anniversary of the signing in Cairo of the Pelindaba treaty. Although the treaty has not yet entered into force — it requires 28 states to ratify and deposit their instruments of ratifications with the African Union — there is renewed hope, sparked by the Ethopian and Mozambican ratifications, and a workshop held for South African states in Pretoria on March 31 and April 1, 2008 that the longest aspired nuclear weapons free zone in the world will finally become a reality.

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, as part of its ongoing project to advance the entry into force of the Pelindaba Treaty, is pleased to announce a new web-based "Pelindaba Treaty resource page" designed to aid government officials and analysts in keeping track of developments related to the treaty and its implementation. In addition to basic documents such as the treaty text and an up-to-date list of signatories and state parties, the resource page also includes an interactive map of the zone showing the progress toward entry into force and full implementation of the treaty. The page furthermore provides a list of useful articles by CNS and other analysts on the history and current status of the African nuclear weapon free zone. The resource page also contains a unique "ratification pack" designed to aid African states that have not yet ratified with their legal an institutional processes. This tool was developed by CNS and the South African based Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

The Pelindaba Treaty resource page also includes a report on and papers circulated at the workshop in Pretoria, South Africa held on March 31 and April 1 co-hosted by the CNS and ISS and sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Government. The workshop brought together 45 participants from southern African states, selected intergovernmental organizations and civil society to discuss the pending entry-into-force and implementation of the Pelindaba Treaty. More specifically the workshop considered ideas on how to encourage and assist southern African states that have not yet done so, to ratify the treaty, how the treaty's entry into force would strengthen Africa's role in the nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament regime, and what benefits could be expected from the establishment of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) which will be created upon the treaty's entry into force. Given the upcoming Preparatory Committee session for the 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, the mutually reinforcing relationship between the Pelindaba Treaty and the NPT as means to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons was also discussed.

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