Uganda pushing for chemical weapon academy

Kampala. Uganda is lobbying the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to support the establishment of a chemical academy in the country.
Government says such an academy would build local and regional capacity in handling chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-related affairs.
Mr Pius Bigirimana, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, made the pitch during the conference at The Hague, the Netherlands last week.
He said establishment of the academy would elevate the Africa technical support programme through which African countries such as Uganda would benefit from the exchange of knowledge, provision of equipment and related technologies.
“My delegation, therefore, requests for support from State Parties to realise the idea of the academy and centre of excellence established in Uganda,” Mr Bigirimana said.
He said establishment of the academy would elevate the Africa technical support programme through which African countries, including Uganda, are benefiting from the exchange of knowledge, provision of equipment and related technologies.

Regional trainings
He said the programme had continued to infuse the necessary skills and capacity building within the implementation of the Convention.
Uganda hosted the regional operational trainings under the Convention, with the latest training having taken place from October 24 to November 1 in Jingo, 80 kilometres east of Kampala.
A total of 36 participants from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda were trained as a pool of experts to conduct downward trainings and as first responders to toxic chemical emergencies in the region.
Mr Bigirimana commended the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, especially the Assistance and Protection Branch, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom for dedicating expert trainers for the East Africa programme.
Uganda ratified the chemical weapons convention in 2001, after which, the Gender Ministry was appointed national authority for domestication of the convention.