OPCW equips experts from 31 developing and transitioning economies as ‘force multipliers’ for global chemical safety

Mr Suljuk Mustansar Tarar, OPCW Director of International Cooperation and Assistance, Ambassador Fernando Arias, OPCW Director-General, and Mr Li Zhao, OPCW Head of International Cooperation, together with participants of the 2025 Associate Programme at the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology

THE HAGUE, Netherlands-15 October 2025-The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) successfully concluded the 26th edition of its flagship capacity-building initiative, the Associate Programme, on 25 September 2025, at the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology.

The intensive nine-week programme equipped 31 participants from 31 States Parties-including first-time representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, and the State of Palestine-with advanced technical and managerial skills for the effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Comprehensive training across four continents

The Programme's multidisciplinary approach combined legal, academic, and practical training across multiple locations. Participants began with education on the legal aspects of the CWC and key functions of the OPCW, with a focus on the verification regime and national authority arrangements.

In the academic segment, conducted in collaboration with the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, participants acquired knowledge and skills essential for chemical industry operations, including material balance, chemical engineering, and health and safety measures.

Through an industrial attachment process, participants received on-the-job training at 17 chemical plant sites across 15 States Parties, gaining hands-on experience in real-world chemical industry settings. Throughout the nine-week programme, participants worked in pairs to complete 16 research projects on topics relevant to CWC and OPCW activities.

Launched in 2000, the Associate Programme has become a flagship programme for the OPCW to promote international cooperation in the peaceful uses of chemistry. It specifically targets chemical professionals, engineers, and scientists from OPCW Member States with developing or transitioning economies.

OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias delivers remarks at the Closing Ceremony of the 2025 Associate Programme.

Director-General urges alumni to be 'force multipliers'

In his closing remarks, OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias congratulated the participants, noting that they now join a dynamic group of alumni representing 126 countries. He emphasised the Programme's unique role in promoting international cooperation and advancing the peaceful uses of chemistry.

"You are now part of a large, diverse, and dynamic group of alumni," the Director-General stated, drawing attention to the extensive global network. He encouraged the participants to continue sharing knowledge and best practices, concluding: "In doing so, you will serve as true force multipliers for our collective effort to ensure chemistry is applied solely for the benefit of humanity."

Director-General Arias also extended special thanks to the Programme's international partners, including the University of Surrey, and the wide array of global industries that hosted the participants for the industry segment.

Participants of the OPCW Associate Programme 2025 and the OPCW Technical Secretariat at the Closing Ceremony, held at the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology in Nootdorp on 25 September 2025.

A united vision across regions

The collective experience of the participants, which combined academic study, industry attachments, and practical exercises, was powerfully captured in statements delivered by regional representatives:

• Asia emphasized that the training helps "reduce dual-use risks," ensuring that industry growth and innovation proceed safely in the economically vital region.

• Eastern Europe echoed the sentiment of shared responsibility, quoting Croatian Nobel laureate Lavoslav Ružiča: "Science should be a tool for peace, not destruction." The participants noted that the intense programme developed not just professionals, but a collaborative network united by a shared mission.

• Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) underscored that the demanding nine-week Programme required an absolute focus on teamwork and solidarity to succeed. This intense, collective effort, forged through training, was described as the OPCW's "cooperation weapon"-a lasting mechanism for global unity.

• Africa focused on how international cooperation and genuine partnerships are essential to address regional implementation challenges, specifically citing limitations in resources, technological gaps, and infrastructure.

The Director-General expressed confidence that the expertise gained would be used to strengthen the institutions and communities the participants return to, marking not an end, but the continuation of their connection with the Organisation.

Mr Ahmad S. Ashraf, a participant of the OPCW Associate Programme from Kuwait, delivers a speech during the closing ceremony

Background

The OPCW Associate Programme is a multidisciplinary initiative designed to bolster the capabilities of OPCW Member States in effectively managing the peaceful uses of chemistry while upholding the principles of the CWC in the chemical industry context. The programme prepares participants for technical assignments within the OPCW Technical Secretariat and positions related to the implementation of the Convention in their home countries.

The main objectives of the programme are:

• to facilitate national implementation of the Convention related to the chemical industry;

• to offer training in areas related to chemistry and chemical engineering to personnel from industry, universities, and the government;

• to facilitate trade in these areas through adoption of good practices in chemical industry; and

• to broaden the talent pool for positions related to industry in National Authorities, institutions, and economic positions in Member States as well as in the Secretariat.

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.

In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 - totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents - have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW's strict verification regime.

For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

Links

Associate Programme | OPCW

Photo gallery: Closing ceremony for the 2025 OPCW Associate Programme 2025