Wuppertal Annual Course on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Chemical Process Industries
Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CWC)
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force on 29 April 1997. It prohibits the development, production, possession, transfer and use of chemical weapons. States Parties are obliged to declare all chemical weapons (CW) and the facilities used for their production to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and to destroy them under international supervision. Chemicals, equipment and facilities particularly suitable for the production of chemical weapons are also subject to restrictions and verification inspections. All data subject to reporting under the CWC is subject to systematic verification through on-site inspections: the CWC thus goes beyond the mere prohibition and destruction of weapons of mass destruction. It plays a key role in preventing the further proliferation of chemical weapons. With 193 member states, the CWC has almost universal coverage. Only four United Nations member states have not yet acceded to the CWC: Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
With the entry into force of the CWC, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in The Hague, was established. It monitors the implementation of and compliance with the CWC by the States Parties. This includes, in particular, the systematic verification of the destruction of all declared chemical weapons and facilities for their production through on-site inspections. Regular inspections of the chemical industry relevant to the CWC are also intended to strengthen confidence that its activities serve only purposes not prohibited under the CWC.
The OPCW also promotes international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of chemistry. Where necessary, it can coordinate protection and assistance measures for the victims of a chemical weapons attack. On 11 October 2013, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its comprehensive efforts towards the destruction of chemical weapons.
The OPCW operates through the annual Conference of States Parties, the Executive Council as its standing governing body (41 members, including Germany) and the Technical Secretariat. At a review conference held every five years, the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention is evaluated and recommendations on the OPCW’s future work are adopted.
Wuppertal Annual Course on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Chemical Process Industries
Under Article XI of the CWC, the 193 CWC member states promote the exchange of scientific and technical information relating to the manufacture and use of chemical products for non-prohibited purposes. As a country with a particularly strong chemical industry (the third-largest importer and one of the world’s largest exporters of chemical-pharmaceutical products), contributes to this exchange of knowledge, amongst other things, by offering courses on safety management in the chemical industry (‘Wuppertal Annual Course on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Chemical Process Industries’) in collaboration with the OPCW since 2009.
The Federal Foreign Office funds the courses, which are run by the University of Wuppertal, whilst the OPCW assists in selecting the approximately 24 applicants each year from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. Imparting knowledge, skills and an understanding of sustainable safety management in the chemical industry also serves to reduce the risk of non-state actors diverting hazardous chemicals for unauthorised purposes, such as terrorism.
Source: Federal Foreign Office
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