The Hague, 24 June 2000

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in conjunction with the Government of Poland, is hosting a Chemical Weapons "Alleged Use" exercise in Slubowo , Poland from 24 June to 2 July.

The exercise is being held with the co-operation and assistance of the Polish Government and is related to Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which calls on the OPCW and its member states to provide assistance and protection to any member state that has suffered the use of, or is threatened by, chemical weapons.

The focus of the exercise is to help train experts from the OPCW in methods of investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons. This includes the collection of physical evidence, analysis of chemical samples on site, interviews with witnesses and victims of the attack and identification of assistance needs.

To assist the exercise the Polish Government and its armed forces have put a training ground at the disposal of the OPCW and provided the necessary logistic, technical and administrative support. During the exercise thePolish Authorities will also assist by acting the role of a host country that alleges chemical weapons have been used against it.

This exercise is part of the routine training of OPCW staff, and is the latest in a number of similar routine exercises being held in various member states.

In addition to its work in verifying the destruction of chemical weapons and conducting routine inspections in certain areas of the chemical industry, the OPCW continues to identify, develop, and implement programmes to foster international co-operation in the protection of populations and dealing with the alleged use of chemical weapons.