The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has accredited Algeria's National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology of the Gendarmerie Nationale (NICC/GN) to join the Organisation's Designated Laboratories network for the analysis of authentic environmental samples. Establishing a new Designated Laboratory in Africa is an important step towards strengthening chemical security across the continent, while diversifying the network's global footprint.
"The OPCW Designated Laboratories are a vital component of the Organisation's strict verification regime. They also offer an opportunity for Member States to contribute to the work of the Organisation," said OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias. "With NICC/GN joining the network, we now have Designated Laboratories on every continent. This is a major achievement, which strengthens global chemical security and enhances transparency and objectivity in sample handling."
In 2014, upon NICC/GN's request, OPCW experts assessed the capacity of the laboratory and prepared a tailored-made action plan to support the institution in achieving OPCW Designation status. This included the provision of analytical chemistry and proficiency test trainings, and thematic fellowships for NICC/GN's scientists at the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN). In 2023, with the financial support of the European Union, NICC/GN partnered with the German Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection (WIS) in the framework of the OPCW Laboratory Twinning and Assistance Programme. Both VERIFIN and WIS are OPCW Designated Laboratories and have played a crucial role in supporting NICC/GN on its road to achieving OPCW Designation status.
"Being a result of hard work and cooperation with the OPCW and other partners, this Designation underscores the NICC/GN commitment to excellence and will open new perspectives of collaboration with the OPCW, with other Designated Laboratories and with new applicants, especially in the Africa region. With this accomplishment of the Algerian institute, Africa has now its own Designated Laboratory," said the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the OPCW, H.E. Mrs Salima Abdelhak.
"We are confident that this success brings added value for NICC/GN and will enable Algeria to support more effectively the OPCW in its efforts to enhance the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and to strengthen international peace and security," she added.
"The OPCW will continue to work closely with NICC/GN to enhance regional cooperation and coordination in chemical non-proliferation in Africa," said Director-General Arias.
Supporting laboratories working to achieve Designation
The OPCW Designated Laboratories network includes national laboratories around the world which must be able to perform analysis of samples collected by OPCW inspectors from chemical production facilities, storage depots and other installations, or from the site of an alleged chemical weapons use. The OPCW requires each laboratory to undergo a rigorous proficiency testing programme to ensure it meets the Organisation's standards in samples handling. This includes technical proficiency, robust and verifiable chain of custody, impartial testing, and reporting through strict criteria. Today, the OPCW network of Designated Laboratories comprises 32 national laboratories in 23 countries.
Obtaining OPCW Designation is a rigorous process, demanding both technical expertise and financial resources. There are two types of OPCW Designation and corresponding proficiency testing (PT) schemes: one for environmental sample analysis and one for biomedical sample analysis. The latter requires more advanced capabilities, including instrumentation and skills. The time required to achieve OPCW Designation status depends on the laboratory's existing capabilities and expertise in chemical analysis. Each laboratory undergoes several PT stages.
The OPCW provides capacity-building activities and individual assistance to specific laboratories working towards achieving Designation status. The Organisation also oversees the Laboratory Assistance and Twinning Programme, which enables the exchange of personnel between twinned laboratories for training and mentorship purposes, and offers support to develop the infrastructure and skills required to achieve Designation status.
Background
The OPCW has initiated dedicated capacity-building projects in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Since 2019, the Organisation has put in place two projects to support capacity-building efforts for selected laboratories in Africa. These projects were funded under voluntary contributions from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Germany.
Similar assistance has been provided in the Latin America and Caribbean region. In 2021, Brazil's Laboratório de Análises Químicas, Centro Tecnológico do Exército became the first OPCW Designated Laboratory in the region.
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.
