Midrand, 27 June 2024 – Mr. Harro Wittermans, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) Regional Coordinator for Eastern and Central Africa on Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) Risk mitigation and Security Governance Programme, paid a Courtesy Call on the headquarters of the APRM Continental Secretariat in Midrand. Representing HE Marie-Antoinette ROSE QUATRE, the Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Continental Secretariat, Mr Jean-Yves Adou, Ag. Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, along with Mr Dalmar Jama, Ag. Technical Adviser to the CEO on Governance Reviews and Assessments, Dr. Valery Yao, APRM Technical Coordinator on State Resilience and Mr. Bachir, Researcher, facilitated the courtesy visit, including the preliminary discussions on the joint planned collaboration.
On behalf of the CEO, Mr Jean-Yves Adou extend a warm welcome to Mr Wittermans, for the continued interest of the United Nations System in APRM. He further highlighted the increase in the threats related to the use of nuclear weapons in multiple acute crises globally, including in Africa. He finally indicated that CBRN threats are common threats that can be addressed effectively through enhanced international cooperation and strong international institutions.
In his response, Mr. Wittermans indicated that chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials present serious security and safety threats globally, including in Africa. It is therefore imperative for states to strive to prevent the diversion of dual-use CBRN materials in line with the multilateral non-proliferation instruments and relevant good practices. In this regard, it will be critical to assess AU Member states’ adherence to certain international standards as well as their capacity to respond to incidents.
The APRM Team presented the Mechanism’s mandate, the current membership, the thematic areas as well as the achievements in the implementation of State Resilience to Shocks and Disasters over the past five years. As CBRN closely relates to the latter, its objectives and key focus areas were explained. The presentation also highlighted that APRM has robust governance assessment methodology anchored on political commitment and national ownership, public participation, technical competency, and freedom from political manipulation.
Finally, areas for collaboration were identified, including the use of global conventions to assess the use of CBRN and their environmental impacts in AU member states, identification of synergies for stronger and impactful advocacy for domestication and compliance with the established conventions on CBRN, possible financial support to APRM for the conduct of specific reviews, technical support to Member States that have already acquired or are planning to acquire nuclear plants, improvement of border and strategic trade controls to prevent and detect illicit trafficking of CBRN as well as disease outbreaks management. Further discussions will define the modalities of the collaboration.
For more information, please contact:
Dr Rachel Mukamunana, Ag Director of Country Review and Assessment
Dr Valery Yao Yao, Technical Coordinator on State Resilience, Country Review and Assessment Directorate
E- mail : valery.yaoyao@aprm-au.org
