The Chemical Weapons Convention (the “Convention”) stipulates each country, which has become a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), must establish an internal coordinating body (National Authority) to implement the Convention. The National Authorities must fulfil broad-ranging complex tasks, including the monitoring of import and export regulations as regards scheduled chemicals, compliance with national implementing legislation, submission of declarations, as well as assistance and protection and international cooperation programmes and requirements. The Chemical Weapons Convention (the “Convention”) stipulates each country, which has become a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), must establish an internal coordinating body (National Authority) to implement the Convention. The National Authorities must fulfil broad-ranging complex tasks, including the monitoring of import and export regulations as regards scheduled chemicals, compliance with national implementing legislation, submission of declarations, as well as assistance and protection and international cooperation programmes and requirements.
With 147 States Parties being members of the OPCW at present, the demand for the training of National Authority personnel has risen dramatically.
This year, the Basic Course for National Authorities has been held twice. The second such course concluded on 8 November 2002. Staff members from thirty National Authorities attended the second course. The States Parties represented included: Armenia, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Panama, Republic of Korea, Moldova, the Russian Federation, The Sudan, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
The curriculum of the five-day course was rigorous and comprehensive, extending from a history of the negotiations of the Convention, an in-depth explanation of the Convention’s provisions, to an explanation of the functioning of the Organisation and of the steps required for the establishment of a National Authority. Five work groups tested their knowledge in table-top exercises and scenarios dealing with declarations of chemical industry, trade issues, old and abandoned chemical weapons, providing assistance to other States Parties, in case of a threat of use of or of an attack with chemical weapons. Finally, the work groups shared their experiences and lessons learned in this process.
Mr Rogelio Pfirter, Director-General of the OPCW, noted in his closing address to the representatives of the National Authorities that “… support for the implementation of the Convention at the national level is crucial to the effectiveness of the disarmament and non-proliferation regime that the Convention strives to accomplish. The basic objective of our programmes is therefore to assist States Parties in building their administrative and expert capacity to enforce the Convention, and to eventually achieve self-sufficiency in this area. ”
66/2002