A Basic Course for OPCW National Authorities implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) took place in Paris, France from 20 to 30 June 2005. The Basic Course was made possible in part by a contribution from the French Republic in support of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Action Plan on National Implementation. This Basic Course is the first of two courses offered jointly by the French Republic and the OPCW Technical Secretariat.
The Basic Course was attended by representatives of twenty-five nations. Two participating nations, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Djibouti, have signed but not as yet ratified the CWC. The participating nations included representatives from the following Member States: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Burundi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ívoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Jamaica, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Viet Nam.
The Centre Francaise de Formation pour l’interdiction des Armes Chimiques (CEFFIAC), hosted the course, whose Director, General de Brigade Aerienne Oliver de Portzamparc, opened the ten-day course in the presence of the OPCW Legal Adviser, Ambassador Santiago Oñate Laborde, responsible for the OPCW’s Action Plan on National Implementation. In 1993, the French government established CEFFIAC to train inspectors for OPCW.
The Basic Course’s programme provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the CWC’s effective national implementation, including a detailed review of the CWC and the functioning of the OPCW, its governing bodies and the Technical Secretariat, the establishment and operation of National Authorities, the legal rights and obligations of States Parties under the CWC, and the objectives of the National Implementation Action Plan.
During the Basic Course, participants also were provided an overview of the types of chemical weapons, the toxic properties of chemicals, the OPCW’s programmes to deliver assistance and protection and foster international cooperation, as well as to provide Member States support in the implementation of the CWC, such the preparation and submission of declarations and the receipt of inspections. Table-top exercises and scenarios were used to test the participants understanding of the Convention’s implementation.
30/2005