Gabon joins Affiliate Country Programme

The IEC counts a new participant in its Affiliate Country Programme with Gabon joining in February to bring the total number of participants to 76.

Map of Gabon

Gabon

Gabon is in Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo to the south and east and Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north. Having a population of 1.4 million, its capital is Libreville.

Gabon’s principal industries are petroleum extraction and refining, mining (manganese, gold), chemicals, ship repair, food and beverage production, textiles, lumbering and plywood, and cement.

In 2004 (latest figures) it produced 1.543 billion kWh of electricity, all of which went to domestic consumption.

Gabon has 39 100 main telephone lines and 650 000 cellular phones in use.

Launched in 2001, the IEC Affiliate Country Programme is aimed at developing and newly-industrializing countries around the world. The Programme offers such countries a form of participation in the IEC without the financial burden of actual membership, making full use of the IEC 100% electronic environment. The IEC Affiliate Country Programme enables a country to participate in the IEC and benefit from that affiliation in a variety of ways. Affiliates will be able to use the various IEC international standards and learn how to monitor relevant technical work in the technical committes, thereby taking a step by step approach to establishing an IEC National Electrotechnical Committee, if and when appropriate.