OPCW Conducts Fourth Workshop on the CWC for Iraqi Officials

From 29 to 31 October 2007, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) conducted a workshop on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) for Iraqi officials, in Amman. The workshop, hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was the fourth such event. It was attended by eleven Iraqi government officials and by Representatives of Japan, Jordan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

The workshop was a follow-up to the third training course on the CWC for Iraqi officials, held also in Amman, in December 2006, with the view to assist the government of Iraq to accede to the CWC, and to enable it develop the skills needed to prepare mandatory declarations and to efficiently put in place the required regulatory measures to implement the Convention.

During the three-day workshop, participants conducted an in-depth review of the progress made so far by Iraq in preparation for its accession to the CWC including its declarations requirements. Experts from the OPCW Technical Secretariat provided briefings and discussed with the participants the key provisions of the Convention and the obligations of the OPCW States Parties.

The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has hosted three of the four training workshops, since the process was initiated in The Hague, at the OPCW headquarters, in July 2005.

The Government of Japan provided part of the funding to cover the expenses of the workshop.

PR117/2007