THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 25 June 2020 — The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held today its first online training course for South Asian Member States on chemical safety and security management.
The training course focussed on chemical plant safety and security, including scenario-based audits and human reliability assessments of chemical processes. Participants benefitted from online lectures delivered by OPCW experts and took part in an exercise that put their knowledge into practice.
The OPCW’s Head of the International Cooperation Branch, Mr Li Zhao, emphasised in his opening remarks how holding the training course online “demonstrates the ability of the OPCW to adapt to the evolving global context, and its continued commitment to building capacity among Member States to enhance chemical safety and security”.
Participants shared their views on new approaches to various aspects of chemical safety and security. They also discussed how to evaluate chemical safety and security performance in chemical facilities and identified resources, tools and further training to promote safety standards.
Seventy-two participants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka represented National Authorities, chemical industry, industry associations, government departments, and academia. UNSCR 1540 experts and programme coordinators from CRDF Global attended as observers.
Background
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
Over 97% of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.