On May 15-19, the "Sixth Advanced Regional Assistance and Protection Course on Chemical Emergency Response" will be held in Buenos Aires. It is the sixth edition of an initiative annually organized by Argentina with the financial support of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), aimed at training experts in emergency first response from Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The opening and the first session of the course will take place at the Palacio San Martín on Monday 15 May. The rest of the course, which will be offered by professionals from the Federal Fire Brigade, will take place at the Federal Police Academy. The aim of the course is to share the experience and training of Argentine experts, and, specially, to offer participants from the region an opportunity to train in the use of personal protection equipment by performing practical exercises in the field.
Argentina has always promoted collaboration activities with countries of the region, which is an area free of weapons of mass destruction. In his recent visit to the OPCW headquarters in The Hague last 28 March, the President of the Argentine Republic, Mauricio Macri, reaffirmed Argentina's commitment to the non-proliferation and total elimination of these weapons. However, there are other risks in the region that should not be underestimated. In addition to working for the prevention of chemical accidents by educating and raising awareness, Argentina organizes training courses for specialized personnel on first response to emergencies related to hazardous substances.
This course is part of a series of activities that the National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention will organize during this year to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its contribution to global disarmament.
Press release No. 179/17
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