Qatar University (QU) hosted yesterday the ninth awareness workshop for undergraduate students on agreements related to weapons of mass destruction. Organised by the National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons (NCPW), it is part of the NCPW’s efforts to raise awareness about the gravity of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.
Held under the patronage of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, the workshop introduced biological and chemical weapons agreements and treaties related to nuclear weapons, and raised awareness about the goals and achievements of the NCPW, while informing students about the efforts of Qatar in implementing the agreements related to weapons of mass destruction.
In his remarks at the opening of the workshop, QU President Dr Hassan al-Derham said the workshop focuses on explaining the agreements, the achievements and developments and presenting incentives, saying the workshop is a qualitative step towards deepening communication with young students and contributes to preparing a conscious and peaceful generation that rejects violence and aggression and seeks a stable and safe world.
The workshop, he said, is a valuable opportunity in which officials, specialists and students from various institutions and universities hold constructive discussion and dialogue sessions that enhance co-operation between them and the NCPW, and inspire them towards more noble national and humanitarian efforts in this context.
The QU president praised Qatar’s direction towards promoting peace and stability and its efforts in raising awareness about the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, while stressing QU’s interest in enhancing co-operation and complementarity between it and the NCPW to educate various segments of society, especially students, about the danger of weapons of mass destruction.
Chairman of the NCPW Brigadier-General (Air) Hassan Saleh al-Nisf said that this workshop comes within the framework of the committee’s efforts to enhance societal awareness of the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, as part of Qatar’s obligations in this regard. 
He pointed out that Qatar joined agreements on banning and disarmament of such nuclear, chemical, biological and other forbidden weapons and restriction of conventional weapons that cause severe harm to civilians, thus making it among the first countries to support international efforts towards achieving the universality of these agreements. 
Highlighting the efforts of Qatar, Brigadier Hassan al-Nisf pointed out that the NCPW was established in 2004 as a standing committee at the Ministry of Defence, to be a national authority entrusted with the task of the implementation of international conventions, noting the establishment of the Doha Regional Centre for training on agreements related to weapons of mass destruction in 2012, in co-operation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to cover training activities in the field of weapons of mass destruction in co-ordination with relevant organisations and institutions.

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