Participants at a Course on the Analysis of Chemicals related to the CWC held in Spain.
The fifth course on the Analysis of Chemicals related to the Chemical Weapons Convention in the Framework of OPCW Proficiency Testing, specially arranged in Spanish for chemistry practitioners from the GRULAC region took place on 18 – 29 May 2015 at the Laboratorio de Verificación para las Armas Quimicos, LAVEMA, Instituto Tecnológico, La Marañosa, in Madrid, Spain.
The opening and closing ceremonies were held in the presence of Colonel Felipe González Roldán, Director of the Instituto Tecnológico La Marañosa; Dr. Nieves Gómez, Secretary General of the National Authority of Spain; Mr José María Elvira, Director of Programmes of the National Authority of Spain; Teniente Colonel Rogelio Pardos, Head of NBC and Materials and Ms Esther Gómez Caballero, Head of LAVEMA. Mr Mark Albon, Director of International Cooperation and Assistance and Mr Sergey Zinoviev, Senior International Cooperation Officer represented the OPCW Technical Secretariat. The course was attended by 16 participants from the GRULAC region and one local participant*.
The course is intended both for laboratories that are active or plan to become active in the analysis of chemicals related to the Convention, and for those that are participating or intend to participate in OPCW proficiency testing. The successful organisation of this course, with the joint efforts of the Technical Secretariat, the National Authority of Spain, and LAVEMA further strengthened the cooperation in the promotion of both the effective implementation of the CWC as well its provisions relating to international cooperation for the peaceful uses of chemistry.
This course is one of the series of analytical skills development courses (ASDC), specifically designed to enhance the capacity building efforts of the OPCW. Similar courses are also held in English, French and Russian to meet the needs of different linguist and geographic regions
* Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain and Uruguay.