Learn about Assistex 1, Croatia, 2002
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Excerpts from the Report on Joint Assistance 2005, Lviv, Ukraine, S/554/2006, dated 8 March 2006
Joint Assistance 2005 provided the OPCW with an invaluable opportunity to test its procedures and capabilities in a complex and challenging environment. The exercise required the Secretariat to coordinate its activities with international consequence-management personnel from OPCW Member States, international organisations, and regional organisations. It served as a further reminder to the international community that the OPCW can contribute valuable specialised resources to respond to the use of chemical weapons. More generally, the exercise helped to raise the profile of the OPCW and increase understanding of its activities. The connections and contacts made during the exercise with other organisations will provide a foundation for future cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
For the Secretariat, Joint Assistance 2005 is the beginning of a process, not the end. The lessons learned from the exercise have been recorded and analysed. Rigorous follow-up action has begun, and mechanisms have been put in place to monitor its progress.
A field exercise of the scope of Joint Assistance 2005 required the investment of considerable resources, both by the Secretariat and by Member States—most particularly the host nation, Ukraine. The Secretariat acknowledges with appreciation the excellent cooperation extended by Ukraine and the other Member States that participated in the exercise, and looks forward to further cooperation.
Learn about Assistex 1, Croatia, 2002