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