Regional Workshop on Assistance and Protection against Chemical Weapons held in China

The Government of China and the OPCW jointly organised a regional workshop for States Parties in Asia on assistance and protection against chemical weapons, held from 15 to 17 June 2011 in Xi’an, China. Twenty participants from 18 States Parties took part in the workshop* as well as two representatives from Myanmar, a Signatory State, who participated as observers.

The workshop was designed as a forum for managers and planners who are involved in the protection of their civilian populations against chemical weapons, or who would be responsible for the provision of emergency assistance under Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The agenda covered the implementation of Article X, national and international projects being carried out by the Secretariat, the OPCW’s data bank on assistance and protection, preparedness for delivery of assistance, and regional approaches to assistance and protection. It also provided an overview of assistance-and-protection activities in the region.

The workshop aimed to foster discussion and analysis of key assistance-and-protection-related issues, focussing on the rights and obligations of States Parties under Article X, submission of declarations of protection programmes, and analysis of weaknesses and problem areas. 

The OPCW Deputy Director-General, H.E Mrs Grace Asirwatham, addressed the opening session of the workshop [PDF]. China was represented by Mr Wang Xiaoning, Counselor, Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other officials from the National Authority and Ministry of Defence. 


* Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palau, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Viet Nam.