OPCW's Seventh Associate Progamme Concludes

The Seventh Associate Programme organised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded on 29 September 2006. The ten-week programme was attended by twenty-four participants from the following OPCW Member States: Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Croatia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay and Zambia.

During their three-week industrial training under the OPCW Associate Programme for 2006 at Clariant Products (Switzerland) Ltd, two participants, Ms. Sunny Mbabazi and Mr. Aron Hailemichael Goitom from Uganda and Eritrea, respectively, were able to work on a practice-related project entitled “Development of a fast screening method for the detection of allergenic components in dyestuffs”.

The training course facilitates the application of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in chemical industry. National capacity in the peaceful uses of chemistry is enhanced by improving the skills of qualified chemists and chemical engineers from Member States whose economies are in transition or development. The programme also increases the pool of experienced personnel that National Authorities and the OPCW can call upon in the future.

In his address at the Associate Programme’s closing ceremony, the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, stated that this training programme is one of the OPCW’s flagship international cooperation programmes. Its success is due to its comprehensive curriculum that encompasses theory and practical experience in the CWC’s implementation and the OPCW’s activities. He noted that the course incorporates a range of activities such as lectures, visits to specialised institutions, as well as hands-on industrial practice at chemical plants and the participants’ own research projects.

Director-General Pfirter underscored the contribution of the OPCW Member States, without whose strong support this unique programme could not be conducted. On behalf of the OPCW, he expressed his gratitude for the voluntary financial contributions received from the Governments of Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He also gratefully acknowledged the support of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the German National Authority for their contribution and for sharing their experiences in CWC-related activities. He thanked the governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as their respective national chemical association, for supporting and arranging the course’s industrial training.

The Director-General emphasized the University of Surrey’s excellent coordination of the course’s industrial simulations. He commended the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) for the cooperation it extends to the OPCW under the ResponsibleCare® policy that has encouraged chemical industry to participate in this programme.

Ambassador Pfirter highlighted the generous investment of time and effort made by chemical producers in arranging the industrial training for the participants, and specifically expressed his appreciation to the following companies: Degussa and LANXESS of Belgium; Leo Pharma of Denmark; Arkema of France; Bristol-Myers Squibb of Italy; Showa Denko and Sumitomo Chemical of Japan; Shell Chemicals and Yara Sluiskil of the Netherlands; PETRESA of Spain; AstraZeneca of Sweden; and Clariant Products and Lonza of Switzerland.

He also thanked Du Pont, TNO Defence, Security, and Safety, DCMR, AVR Chemie, Deltalinqs, the Netherlands Customs Authority and the Technical University Library at Delft in the Netherlands, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the World Customs Organisation for their support to the programme.

PR65 / 2006

Categories: Associate Programme