As the global chemical industry becomes more advanced and interconnected, countries face growing challenges in meeting complex declaration and inspection requirements under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). To address these challenges and ensure that toxic chemicals are used only for peaceful purposes, the OPCW and Malaysia brought together government officials and industry representatives from across Asia and other regions for a hands-on training focused on real-world inspection readiness, practical implementation and cooperation with industry. The training took place from 22 to 24 April 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The course was the first in-person Article VI training organised by the OPCW since 2022. Unlike online formats, the workshop used real-world scenarios and allowed for operational practice, helping participants strengthen the skills needed to prepare for and support OPCW declarations and inspections.
The training introduced a pilot approach that brought together countries with similar chemical industry profiles and inspection obligations. By grouping together participants facing similar operational realities, the course enabled focused discussions, practical peer exchange, and lessons directly relevant to the challenges countries are most likely to encounter in implementing Article VI obligations.
A novel component of the training was a mock inspection exercise conducted at an operational industrial facility. Participants applied inspection procedures in a real industrial setting: from reviewing declarations to interacting with plant personnel and managing inspection-related activities in real time.
The practical nature of the course and the opportunity to exchange best practices from national experience made the training particularly valuable, explained Raja Subramaniam, Undersecretary of Malaysia's National Authority for the implementation of the CWC.
"This training initiative is a timely response to the rapid expansion and increasing complexity of the chemical industry in the region," said Subramaniam. "The training provided a critical platform to deepen technical understanding of verification and declaration requirements while fostering a more harmonised approach to national implementation across OPCW Member States."
Thirty-three participants from 11 countries attended the training.
The training forms part of the OPCW's wider efforts to tailor implementation support to the evolving needs of its Member States as well as to enhance cooperation with industry and preparedness for inspections. It also contributes to the Organisation's mandate to ensure that chemistry is used only for peaceful purposes.
OPCW and Malaysia brought together government officials and industry representatives from across Asia and other regions for a hands-on training focused on real-world inspection readiness, practical implementation and cooperation with industry.
Why do chemical industry declarations and inspections matter?
Under the CWC, countries are required to declare certain toxic chemicals, production facilities and related industrial activities to the OPCW, particularly those involving chemicals that could potentially be misused. Based on these declarations, OPCW inspectors carry out routine inspections at chemical industry sites around the world to verify that activities are consistent with peaceful purposes and comply with the Convention.
These inspections are a central part of the Convention's global verification regime, helping build international confidence that chemistry is not being diverted for prohibited purposes. The OPCW implements its verification mandate by reviewing declarations and conducting inspections. In parallel, the OPCW supports its Member States through technical guidance, training, and capacity-building activities, including assisting National Authorities and industry in preparing for inspections while protecting sensitive commercial information.
Background
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.
