Indian Council Of Chemicals Recognised With OPCW The Hague Award For Safety & Compliance Efforts

It was the first time that the award had been conferred upon a chemical industry body, the Indian Council of Chemicals (ICC).

The chemical industry, the Indian Council of Chemicals (ICC) was presented with the 2024 Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) The Hague Award for its significant contributions to OPCW priority areas. ICC is a chemical industry body recognised for its role in promoting chemical safety, compliance with the Convention, and enhancing industry-wide security practices in India.

The award was presented at the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP) of the OPCW in The Hague, Nerethlands where delegates from the 193 States Parties and experts from the global chemical industry were present.

The Director-General of OPCW, Ambassador Fernando Arias, and the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, presented the award to D Sothi Selvam, Director General of ICC. This marks the first time that the award has been conferred upon a chemical industry body.

The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the OPCW, along with the Chairperson of India's National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), were also present at the ceremony.

According to ANI, in a press release, the Embassy of India in The Hague announced that the ICC which represents over 80 per cent of India's chemical industry valued at $220 billion, was honoured for its efforts in advancing chemical safety and ensuring compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. 

The Hague award recognises the ICC's initiatives, including the Chemical Weapons Convention Helpdesks, which assist the industry in compliance and enable e-filing for chemical declarations. The press release highlighted ICC's 'Nicer Globe' initiative, which enhances chemical transportation safety through real-time monitoring and emergency response capabilities. ICC other initiatives include the ‘Responsible Care’ (RC) programme which introduced the Security Code of RC. It is noted for its impact on enhancing industry-wide security practices in India.

The award recognises the ICC's role in advancing national implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and promoting chemical safety and security in one of the world's largest chemical sectors.