In collaboration with the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO), the OPCW organized the first sub-regional training course on the Technical Aspects of the Transfers’ Regime of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) for customs authorities and National Authority representatives from the Pacific Islands States.
The course was held in Nadi, Fiji from 30 June to 2 July 2010 and attracted 26 participants from 13 States Parties*. Representatives from the OCO, the South Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat also attended the training course.
The Head of the OCO Secretariat, Mr Kulufeinga ‘Anisi Bloomfield, opened the course by thanking the OPCW for this collaborative effort to create awareness about the need to implement the transfers’ provisions of the CWC. He said countries in the sub-region have significant capacity constraints to develop the required legal structures, including appropriate legislation, and to prevent misuse of their territories by criminals and non-state actors. Mr Bloomfield expressed the hope that the OPCW will continue to collaborate with the OCO in jointly addressing capacity-building requests by the Pacific Islands States in the area of monitoring trade in Scheduled chemicals.
The topics covered during the training included: an overview of the CWC and the OPCW, the role of the National Authority, and the need for effective interaction with stakeholders; identification of chemicals relevant to the CWC, current recommendations of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on identifying Scheduled chemicals in the Harmonised System, and potential changes therein; and sources of information for customs officials and customs laboratories, including the Handbook on Chemicals and OPCW Central Analytical Database.
Practical exercises and group discussions designed to enhance the capacities of participants and their States Parties to effectively track the import and export of Scheduled chemicals were also held. The training course sought to create greater awareness and to encourage better coordination amongst relevant stakeholders to further enhance the national implementation of the provisions of the transfers’ regime.
The training course was funded by the European Union as part of the 2009 Council Decision.
* Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
OPCW NEWS 19/2010 THE HAGUE, 6 JULY 2010