WINDHOEK: A six-day advanced course on Assistance and Protection against Chemical Weapons for Anglophones States Parties commenced in the capital on Monday.

Hosted by the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, the course is a continuation of the Anglophone Training Cycle which started in 2023 and is held in collaboration with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Addressing the participants, Industrialisation and Trade Minister, Lucia Iipumbu said the training aims to strengthen the capacities of the first responders of the Anglophone States Parties in preparedness capabilities and response to chemical incidents.

‘To this end, I am extremely happy that the programme for this workshop is of a practical nature and participants will not solely be limited to theoretical presentation,’ she said.

Iipumbu noted that although Namibia has made progress towards the completion of the Chemical Weapons Act, a lot needs to be done to ensure that the country domesticates the Convention by pr
omulgating the law.

Speaking at the same event, Programme Officer at the OPCW, Babatunde Olowookere said the training will allow participants to refresh the knowledge acquired in the preceding basic level training and expand that knowledge to include more comprehensive chemical emergency functions.

Training courses of this nature are organised along with the indications received from the OPCW Policy Making Organs to make effective use of the available regional capacities and resources.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency