Attendees at the meeting of National Authorities held at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague in September 2013.
The Basic Course was held at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague from 16 to 20 September 2013 with 34 participants representing the National Authorities of 31 States Parties.* The course is a part of the OPCW’s continuing efforts aimed at assisting National Authorities to meet their obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The goals of the CWC can only be achieved through its full and effective implementation by all States Parties, which makes it essential that the personnel of National Authorities have a good understanding of the requirements of the Convention. The Basic Course curriculum covers all aspects of the CWC, including the history of the Convention, an overview of the OPCW, the role of the National Authority, national implementation measures under Article VII, the verification and transfers regimes, and an introduction to EDNA (the Electronic Declarations tool for National Authorities.
Participants were also briefed on the programmes of the International and Cooperation (ICA) Division and the e-learning modules developed by the Technical Secretariat. The course included several practical hands-on exercises, including a series of case studies and exercises on legal aspects of the Convention, inspections, and the preparation of declarations under Article VI. An important highlight of the visit was a visit to the OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store in Rijswijk where the participants learned about their respective roles and functions.
*Angola, Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Gambia, Grenada, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Namibia, Panama, Peru, Saint Lucia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Zambia.