Representatives from around the Caribbean came together at the Barbados Fire Academy in Arch Hall, St Thomas, Barbados in late January. They attended a training workshop funded by the UK and delivered for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The workshop’s objective was the strengthening of the region to build risk assessment and response capabilities against the threat of attacks using chemical weapons.
Officials from The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago were given expert advice and tuition on the OPCW’s 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.
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.’
The workshop was supported by the Environmental Protection Department of Barbados’ Ministry of Environment & National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy.
