On 24 November 2002, the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) came into effect. It aimed to strengthen efforts to curb ballistic missile proliferation worldwide, thereby supplementing the Missile Technology Control Regime, which restricts access to technologies needed to develop such systems. Ballistic missiles are the favoured delivery vehicles for weapons of mass destruction and therefore have a destabilizing effect on regional and global security. An overview is provided in this brief of the HCoC, which examines its relevance for African states and outlines the benefits that can be derived by subscribing to its general principles, commitments and confidence-building measures.
