Fifth Basic Course for OPCW National Authorities; Held in Paris, France

23 March 2007

The National Authority of France and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) jointly conducted a nine-day basic training course for National Authority personnel, involved in the national implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at the French Training Centre for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CEFFIAC), Paris, France, from 5 to 15 March 2007. This was the fifth basic course to be hosted by the French National Authority in Paris since 2005. The course was attended by 26 representatives of the following 26 States Parties: Algeria, Armenia, Belgium, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Yemen.

The course provides National Authority personnel with little or no previous experience in the CWC’s implementation the skills needed to comply with the CWC, thus contributing towards the ban’s full and effective implementation at the national level. This meeting is primarily intended for personnel of National Authorities responsible for the specific tasks involved in implementing the CWC at the national level

Participants received detailed briefings on the CWC’s provisions, the mission of the OPCW and the role of its policy-making organs. Presentations also offered insight into the current status of the CWC’s global application, the States Parties’ rights and obligations, the obligatory legislative and administrative measures to be adopted by States Parties under the CWC, the process for establishing or designating a National Authority, the National Authority’s tasks and its relationship with the OPCW, as well as an overview of the OPCW’s programmes in international cooperation and assistance and protection. The CWC’s non-proliferation regime was also explained in detail, with particular emphasis on the production of initial and annual declarations, as well as the verification procedures set out in the CWC.

During the basic training, participants acquired an understanding of the CWC’s classification of chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities, the CWC’s schedules of chemicals. They also received expert briefings on the effects of toxic substances, an introduction to chemical-warfare agents’ monitoring, sampling and analysis, as well as the Declaration Handbook and the Handbook on Chemicals.

Participants were briefed on the French experience in export controls in the field of chemicals. The course included for the first time a visit to a toxic waste treatment facility – SARP Industries. This training concluded with table top exercises on declarations and on an inspection of an industrial facility.

PR18 / 2007