OPCW Graduates 13th Group of Inspectors

26 April 2011

The OPCW held a ceremony at its Headquarters in The Hague Tuesday to mark the graduation of new trainee inspectors from a number of countries.  The 15-week training was supported by the governments of Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and United States of America. 

“I am most grateful to all of the States Parties that provided support to the training of OPCW inspectors,” said the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, in his remarks at the ceremony. “The importance of inspector training for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention is paramount, and your efforts have contributed significantly to assuring the quality of inspections over the coming years.” 

The trainees of Group L were from Australia, Brazil, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, and the graduates will join an international team of more than 160 OPCW inspectors. 

Since entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention in April 1997 the Organisation has devoted over 230,000 inspector-days to conducting some 4,450 inspections of mainly chemical weapons destruction facilities and industrial sites around the world that States Parties have declared to the OPCW in fulfillment of their obligations under the Convention.

For more information about the OPCW’s inspection regime, please visit our website at www.opcw.