In cooperation with the Sultan’s Armed Forces Command of the Sultan of Oman, the OPCW held a Seminar on the Chemical Weapons Convention and Chemical Incident Management. The event was held from the 30 – 31, March in Muscat, Oman. This was the first seminar of its kind held at the Sultan’s Armed Forces Command. The seminar was attended by 76 participants from armed forces, industries and various ministries.
The seminar was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Ahmed bin Harith Al Nabbani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces, Oman. The participants and other dignitaries were welcomed by Colonel Hamed Sulaiman Hamed Al-Bartumani and the keynote address was delivered by Brigadier Hamad bin Rashid Al Balushi.
Over the course of two days, the workshop covered presentations on the treaty and Convention, implementation of the Convention, role of stakeholders on chemical incident management, chemical safety and security principles, risk assessment on chemical incident management, chemical safety and security models, chemical safety and security challenges, the role of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs in dealing with chemical incident, medical management during chemical weapons incidents, the task and role of protection units in dealing with chemical incidents. Discussions were also held on the role of stakeholders and learning and sharing of best practices. This included overviews of effective safety and security systems; case studies and lessons learned.
Through bringing together a group of stakeholders representing National Authorities, Ministries and defence forces, the seminar offered an opportunity for the participants to consider new approaches that can be adopted in relation to chemical incident management. Participants shared their experiences, views and challenges during discussion to ensure chemical safety and security, resulting in enhanced appreciation of issues pertaining to chemical incident management.