The OPCW completed its 11th inspector training course on 24 July 2009 for 13 trainee inspectors from nine countries: Canada, India, Iran, Jordan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The 13-week training was supported by the governments of Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States of America.
This year’s programme combined lectures from experts in chemical demilitarisation and industry verification with case studies review and table-top exercises to ensure familiarity with on-site inspection procedures. The practical side of the course included field training to impart skills required for protection against use of chemical weapons and potential toxic exposure, and involved handling of live blister and nerve agents. The inspectors also received medical and communications instruction and were tutored in OPCW safety procedures.
The new recruits will join an international team of more than 180 OPCW inspectors based in the Technical Secretariat. Since entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention in April 1997, the Organisation has devoted a total of 197,000 inspector-days to inspecting more than 1,400 military and industrial facilities around the world.