First Course on Assistance and Protection for Asian Member States, Beijing, China, 12-16 May 2008
Beijing, China, 12–16 May 2008
The Peoples Republic of China and OPCW jointly organised the first course on assistance and protection for Member States from the Asia region at the Chemical Defence Institute (CDI) in Beijing, China, from 12 to 16 May 2008. The course was attended by 24 participants from 17 States Parties.
Theoretical lectures were presented on planning and building a support team in civil defence, on appropriate responses and countermeasures in the event of incidents involving chemical warfare agents, and on decontamination operations in contaminated areas. The practical exercises included the use of individual protective suits, detection and decontamination procedures.
The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, addressed the CDI faculty and participants from 17 countries in the course. He highlighted the importance of these courses to enhancing regional cooperation in emergency responsea to chemical weapons incidents. The Director-General also complimented CDI for the success of the training programme and urged the participants to utilise the knowledge they have gained to strengthen their national protective capacities.