Nine Caribbean countries are expected to have strengthened their risk assessment and response capabilities against the threat of attacks using chemical weapons, following their participation in a training workshop last month.
Officials from Grenada, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago came together at the Barbados Fire Academy where they received expert advice and instruction on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Online Self-Assessment Tool.
This software was specially developed from experience in the Caribbean. It helps countries to assess and enhance their risk and response capabilities against the threat of use of chemical weapons or misuse of toxic chemicals.
The training workshop, which was funded by the UK, was supported by the Environmental Protection Department of Barbados’ Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy.
Clive Rowland from the Ministry of Defence said: “The UK is especially pleased to financially support this important capacity building event and we are proud to play our part in the development of OPCW’s Online Self-Assessment Tool which is the focus of this workshop.”
