Three-day CTBTO International Cooporation Workshop for States of Southern Africa is held in Pretoria

A three-day Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) International Cooperation Workshop for States of Southern Africa was held in Pretoria, South Africa, from 29 November to 1 December 2004. The workshop took place at the invitation of the South African authorities in cooperation with the South African Council for Geoscience. Twenty-eight participants attended the workshop from Angola, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition, Finland participated as a cooperating state from outside the region. The main areas the workshop focused on were: enhancing understanding of the Treaty by presenting an overview of recent developments in the work of the Preparatory Commission and the technologies of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) verification regime; fostering an exchange of information and experiences regarding the implementation of the Treaty in Southern African States; and identifying ways and means within the CTBT framework to promote cooperation among Southern African States, between Southern African States and the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, as well as other subregions and States. In her opening statement, Ms L. Xingwana, Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy, emphasized the importance of cooperation, and the exchange of information, expertise, and experiences in order to achieve the CTBT objectives. She also went on to express the desire that the wealth of data provided through the Treaty's verification technologies be utilized for the development and welfare of society.