OPCW		Secretariat
			International Cooperation and Assistance Division
			S/283/2001
			21 December 2001
			Original: ENGLISH

Technical Workshop on the Development of Electronic Tools for National Authorities to support CWC Declarations in a common electronic format

THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS

1.                  From 18 – 19 September 2000, the Secretariat convened a Technical Workshop on the Development of Electronic Tools for National Authorities to Support CWC Declarations in a Common Electronic Format. The workshop was part of the efforts by the Secretariat to develop a software package that will be made available to interested National Authorities to assist them in preparing and submitting declaration data due under Article VI of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This software, which will be provided free of charge, will allow such data to be submitted in a standardised print format, as well as in an electronic format.  The software will allow users to export and import declaration data in an agreed common file format (the common transmission file structure, CTFS), and to print the data into the forms provided in the Declaration Handbook.

2.                  As a follow-up to the 2000 workshop, the Secretariat and the developers of the software provided Member States with a demonstration of the software package on 3 December 2001.  The Secretariat is now convening a one-day workshop to introduce the National Authorities to the software package, and to discuss the next steps of the project. The provisional workshop programme is contained in annex 1.

3.                  Interpretation services will be provided, in accordance with the requests specified in annex 2 to this document, and subject to the availability of in-house resources. All workshop materials, however, will be provided in English only.

4.                  Participants are requested to complete the registration form contained in annex 2, and to submit it to the International Cooperation and Assistance Division not later than 14 February 2002. Sponsorship will not be available for this workshop; all participants will be expected to make their own provisions for travel and accommodation.

5.                  Participants who require an entry visa for the Netherlands are advised to contact the nearest diplomatic mission of the Netherlands in the country from which they will be traveling. If additional assistance is required, participants may contact the Secretariat’s Protocol Branch directly: telephone +31‑(0)70‑416 3300; fax: +31-(0)70 -306 3890.

6.                  Additional information about the workshop may be obtained from the International Cooperation and Assistance Division, contact person: Sergei Kisselev; telephone: +31‑(0)70-416 3376; fax + 31-(0)70-306 3535.

Annexes          

Annex 1:  Provisional workshop programme

Annex 2:  Registration form (English only)

Annex 1

Technical Workshop on the Development of Electronic Tools for National Authorities to Support CWC Declarations in a Common Electronic Format

The Hague, the Netherlands, 28 February 2002

PROVISIONAL WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

1.                  Introduction and welcome

2.                  Implementation support projects of the Secretariat

3.                  Data user (reporting) requirements:

(a)        the Secretariat’s perspective: support for verification, reporting to States Parties; and

            (b)        the National Authority’s perspective: national declarations.

4.         Electronic format/standard for industrial declaration data (common transmission file structure, CTFS):

(a)        introduction to the current version (1.1e) of the CTFS;

(b)        the potential role of the CTFS within the Secretariat and National Authorities;

(c)        validation of CTFS version 1.1e:

(i)         lessons learned from the declaration process: presentations by the Secretariat and experts from States Parties;

(ii)        lessons learned by data users; and

(d)        implications for industry declarations.

5.         Implications of data standards for software development:

(a)        overall data automation architecture: from producers to the National Authority, to the Secretariat, and to another requesting State Party’s National Authority;

(b)        software to support output of automated national industry declarations (CWC automated data system, CWC ADS):

(i)         National Authorities;

(ii)        to support the use of automated industry data of other States Parties received from the Secretariat; and

(iii)               benefits for the handling of declarations in the different official languages of the Organisation.

6.       Follow up actions

Annex 2

Technical Workshop on the Development of Electronic Tools for National Authorities to Support CWC Declarations in a Common Electronic Format

The Hague, the Netherlands, 28 February 2002

REGISTRATION FORM

Please submit the completed form by 14 February 2002 to: International Cooperation and Assistance Division, OPCW Secretariat, Johan de Wittlaan 32, 2517 JR The Hague. Fax: +31-(0)70-306 3535

Please use BLOCK LETTERS

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