BENIN: CWC IMPLEMENTATION DEMARCHE

UNCLAS COTONOU 001199 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/CB (ESIDLER) DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS) SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL CWC OPCW CBW AF BWC BN SUBJECT: BENIN: CWC IMPLEMENTATION DEMARCHE DELIVERED AND FOLLOWUP REF: STATE 178365 ¶1. (SBU) On October 26 Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel talking points to Thomas Adoumasse, Director of the MFA's Office of International Organizations. ¶2. (SBU) On December 7 Pol/Econ Chief asked Mr. Bienvenu Houngbedji of the MFA's International Organizations office to provide additional information on the current status of Benin's national legislation regarding criminalizing activities prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Houngbedji said that, at present, the Beninese Penal Code does not contain provisions that would permit criminalizing CWC-prohibited activities but that the Penal Code is currently under revision and that once this process is complete it will be possible to finalize national CWC legislation (which is already in final draft form following the December 2005 visit of an OPCW technical assistance team). Houngbedji speculated that revision of the Penal Code would be finished within two to three months and further volunteered that similar national legislation related to nuclear weapons would be ready following a national seminar planned for February. ¶3. (SBU) Houngbedji conceded it might be possible to discuss the draft CWC legislation, too, during the national seminar in February, but that it was more likely to be discussed shortly thereafter during a separate national seminar. Houngbedji said Benin had approached the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for financial support for such a national seminar and that the GOB is currently awaiting a response to their request. HOLTZAPPLE