OPCW Concludes 12th Associate Programme

• View the Director-General's address here
• View a Flickr slideshow of the Closing Ceremony

The most recent edition of the Associate Programme ended on 23 September 2011 with a closing ceremony at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague. Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü addressed the gathering, which included representatives of diplomatic missions, and handed out certificates to 28 participants from as many States Parties.*

The Associate Programme is based on an integrated approach combining academic and professional training for chemists and chemical engineers. The curriculum is designed to enhance national capacities for implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), in the context of promoting peaceful uses of chemistry in States Parties whose economies are either developing or in transition. This year’s Programme included participation in a 3-week “Chemical Engineering-Oriented Skills Development Course” at the University of Surrey, UK, and three weeks of on-the-job training at world renowned chemical plants in 11 countries of Europe and Asia.

In his address, Director-General Üzümcü stated that the Associate Programme has made a significant contribution to the Convention’s objectives relating to the economic and technological development of States Parties. He noted that the programme has now cumulatively benefited 265 participants from 96 States Parties, of whom a large number are actively involved in CWC implementation in their countries.  

The Director-General expressed appreciation to the Netherlands for its support to the programme since its inception, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its voluntary financial contribution, and to Japan for an in-kind contribution. He also gratefully acknowledged the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Spain, and their respective national chemical associations, for supporting the Programme’s industrial segment. He noted with satisfaction that companies in Croatia, Italy, the Nethelrands and Singapore have renewed their offers of support to the industrial segment for the 2012 Associate Programme.  

Director-General Üzümcü thanked the University of Surrey for its valuable cooperation and noted the strong support extended by other international, regional and national institutions, including: the World Customs Organization, European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) under its “Responsible Care” activities, European Chemicals Agency, European Association of Chemical Distributors, Dutch Customs, the City of Rotterdam including its investment agency, and Delft University of Technology (TU-Delft). He also acknowledged with gratitude, and by name, the cooperation extended by many individual companies.

* Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Samoa, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.