Brasília (DF) – The Brazilian Army took part in the 28th Convention of States Parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), held in The Hague, Netherlands. Representing the institution were Colonels Jorge Otávio Domingues Costa and Luiz Carlos Lott Guimarães, specialists from the Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense System (CBRN). The five-day conference ended in early December.
In parallel to the discussions between the member states, led by the OPCW Director-General, the Brazilian representatives engaged in bilateral meetings and negotiations about the Operational, Laboratory and Exercise Courses offered by the OPCW’s Coordination of Assistance and Protection in Chemical Emergency Responses. These courses are essential for maintaining national defense capabilities and are the result of agreements between the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Above all, the conference contributed to improving the Brazilian diplomatic corps’ knowledge of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats and the Army’s defense system, which operates in war and non-war situations. Likewise, the discussions between civilian and military professionals from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons served to strengthen Brazilian military diplomacy relations, as well as resulting in arrangements to offer courses and training activities for specialists from the Armed Forces.