The Hague, 1 August 2003

Enhancing the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Ban

Both the Advanced Course for Personnel involved in the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Associate Programme commenced in The Hague at the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Monday, 28 July 2003.

Both training programmes are designed to provide specialised training in the practical implementation of the Convention, which bans the development, production, stockpiling, use or transfer of chemical weapons, as well as monitoring the non-proliferation of chemical weapons and their precursors. In addition, the Convention foresees international cooperation among the 153 OPCW Member States to provide assistance and protection, should chemical weapons be used against a Member State’s population, or their use be threatened, while promoting the peaceful uses of chemistry.

The five-day Advanced Course for Personnel involved in the Implementation of the CWC focuses on the detailed and complex requirements for legislation, industry declarations and the inspections resulting from these declarations. As the OPCW’s Acting Director General, Mr Brian Hawtin emphasized, “The OPCW can only function effectively, and the objectives of the Convention can only be fully met, if the Convention is implemented properly and comprehensively at the national level. To achieve this crucial goal, the Organisation relies on you, the people whose direct and heavy responsibility is to ensure that each of your respective countries complies fully with its obligations under the CWC. And, at the same time, in fulfilling its obligations, each country fully utilises the benefits of membership in the OPCW.”

The fourth Associate Programme Course, one of the benefits of OPCW membership, is being held from 28 July to 3 October 2003. The Course provides qualified scientists and engineers from the developing world, or from countries whose economies are in transition, the skills and experience needed to implement the Convention. In particular, the course curriculum includes in-depth familiarisation with the Convention’s stipulations, a 3-week segment at the University of Surrey to acquire an enhanced understanding of chemical processes and operations, as well as secondments to industrial facilities, visits to specialised institutions and individual research projects. The course has doubled in size since its launch, now supporting 24 participants from 24 Member States.

The Associate Programme serves to develop Member States’ capacity to implement the Convention fully, as well as to assist Member States in pursuing their own goals in economic and technological development.

The ten-week course could not be conducted without the invaluable support of the Member States. Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland provided voluntary contributions. The active involvement of chemical industry is a crucial prerequisite for success. The Associate Programme is supported by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), as well as the chemical industry associations of Belgium (Fedichem), Finland (CIF), France (UIC), Germany (VCI), Italy (FEDERCHIMICA), the Netherlands (VNCI), Spain (FEIQUE), Sweden (KEMI KONTORET), and Switzerland (SSIC). In addition, more than a dozen European chemical manufacturers sponsor the programme through on-site training.