On behalf of the Government of Ethiopia and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Director-General is pleased to invite National Authorities and senior government representatives responsible for chemical safety and chemical security management, representatives from chemical industry associations, and managers involved in chemical industry safety and security and Responsible Care® to submit applications for a seminar on the Chemical Weapons Convention (hereinafter “the Convention”) and chemical safety and security management for Member States of the OPCW in the African region, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 2 to 4 October 2018.
The seminar is being organised in order to further promote international cooperation programmes that focus on chemical industry outreach and industry-related aspects of the implementation of Article XI of the Convention. The aim of this seminar is to support chemical safety and security management in the chemical industry in African Member States. The overall goal is to sensitise States Parties to the new approaches
that can be adopted in relation to chemical safety and security management, with a particular focus on providing assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises. By promoting and disseminating standardised and best practices in chemical safety, the seminar will benefit chemical industry personnel who are involved in safety and security management issues, enhance the capacities of National Authorities and chemical industry associations of OPCW Member States in the African region, and indirectly benefit the general public as a whole.
Objectives
- provide an opportunity for participating States Parties to consider and discuss specific chemical safety and security management issues related to chemical processes that have a direct bearing on the effective implementation of the Convention;
- contribute to the sharing of information and the exchange of experiences on the practical implementation of chemical safety and security management programmes;
- review best practices in the safety and security management of chemicals and generate, through interactions and discussions, recommendations on the structure for future standardised seminars to promote these practices in small and medium-sized enterprises in African countries;
- foster wider cooperation among States Parties on issues related to the chemical industry toward achieving the objectives of Article XI of the Convention promoting the peaceful use of chemistry; and
- enhance and promote the safe handling of chemicals at the national level.