The OPCW Technical Secretariat organised a sub-regional training course for customs authorities in East and Southern African States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on the technical aspects of the CWC transfers’ regime, in Kampala, Uganda from 12 – 15 April 2010.
The course, which was supported with funding from the 2009 European Council (EU) Decision, was opened by Hon. Jessica Alupo, Minister of State for Youth and Children’s Affairs, in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development where the National Authority of Uganda is based.
This training course was the second of its kind in Africa to offer comprehensive information on these issues specifically for the two sub-regions, and was conducted as part of the OPCW’s Programme to Strengthen Cooperation with Africa. Thirty-two participants from 18 States Parties* attended. Also present were participants from Egypt, a state not party to the CWC, and the Commission of the African Union.
The course offered an overview of the Convention and the OPCW, the rights and obligations of States Parties, the role of National Authorities, and the need for effective stakeholder engagement. The agenda also covered the identification of chemicals relevant to the Convention – including current recommendations of the World Customs Organization on identifying Scheduled chemicals in the Harmonised System – as well as potential changes to that system and those recommendations.
Participants were afforded the opportunity to familiarize themselves with relevant information sources for customs officials and laboratories, including the Handbook on Chemicals, OPCW Central Analytical Database and other useful databases. Participants discussed discrepancies in the reporting of transfers of Scheduled chemicals and practical customs-related matters like control of Scheduled chemicals in free ports and free zones, risk assessment, trans-shipments, and software for customs services.
The training offered participants information on practical ways to implement the Convention’s provisions and to eliminate discrepancies between quantities of Scheduled chemicals declared by importing and exporting States Parties in respect of the same transfers. Practical exercises and group discussions enhanced participants’ capacity for effectively tracking the import and export of Scheduled chemicals. The course also provided an opportunity for participating customs authorities to share information about their efforts in implementing the provisions of the transfers’ regime and to learn from each other’s best practices.
* Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.
THE HAGUE, 19 APRIL 2010 – OPCW NEWS 07/2010