Division I.1 Laboratory upgrade project

The OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store play critical roles in supporting the implementation of the CWC. Since the Laboratory and Equipment Store began operations over 20 years ago at their current location in Rijswijk, a suburb of The Hague, the demands on these facilities have risen substantially. In the last few years, a dramatic increase in non-routine operations has further stressed the capacities of these facilities, and Decision C-SS-4/DEC.3 will likely result in additional demands. Moreover, States Parties are increasingly requesting training support from the Laboratory to increase their analytical and technical capacities in chemistry. To address these issues, the OPCW has decided to initiate a project to upgrade the OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store to a new Centre for Chemistry and Technology (the ChemTech Centre).