OPCW, Iranian Government organizes training course on toxic chemical agents for emergency first responders

A group of 24 first responders representing 15 Asian Member States to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) recently convened in Tehran, Iran for a training course on emergency assistance and protection against chemical weapons.

The course, which was organized by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Government of Iran, focused on building chemical weapons response capacities for national and regional first responders within the framework of Article X of the CWC.

Each course attendee gained essential skills in the areas of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, medical countermeasures for toxic chemical exposure, the use of personal protective equipment, agent detection, and decontamination procedures.

“The work of first responders serves as a bulwark of protection of all citizens from the threat of chemical agents and industrial toxic chemicals,” OPCW Senior Assistance and Protection Officer Shahrir Khateri said. “This training will strengthen not only national but also regional regime of assistance and protection, which is one of OPCW’s chief priorities.”

Participants also had the opportunity to share their experiences on their nation’s implementation of various CWC provisions while also discussing future collaborative efforts among Member States.

The event was the first part in a series of training courses for first responders. Another course has already been planned for September in Seoul, South Korea.

OPCW serves as the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Entered into force in 1997, the convention represents the most-successful disarmament treaty in history targeting an entire class of weapons. It is the most successful disarmament treaty targeting an entire class of weapons of mass destruction in history.

To date, approximately 95 percent of all chemical weapons stockpiles declares by OPCW’s 192 Member States have been destroyed under the organization’s verification.