Course in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons
Online course of 300 h in humanitarian law and chemical weapons. 6 modules covering the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993), the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and Zotero. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain the historical evolution of the prohibition of chemical weapons.
Identify the obligations of States Parties to the Convention.
Understand the declaration and verification regime in the chemical industry.
Apply the principles of international humanitarian law to historical cases.
Analyse the mechanisms of attribution and response to non-compliance.
Assess the compliance obligations of the chemical industry.
Produce an academic study on a case of compliance with the Convention.
Who it's for
- Non-proliferation analyst wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Legal adviser in international humanitarian law wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Technician at a national CWC authority wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Compliance officer in the chemical industry wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Disarmament researcher wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Security policy consultant wishing to specialise in Humanitarian Law and Chemical Weapons.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to join international organisations.
What you'll work with
- Chemical Weapons Convention (1993)
- Geneva Protocol of 1925
- Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocols
- Law 49/1999 (control of chemicals susceptible to diversion)
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
- Resolution 1540 (2004) of the Security Council
- Regulation (EU) 2021/821 (dual-use items)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Historical background and the Geneva Protocol of 19251.2Chemical Weapons Convention: structure and purpose1.3Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)1.4Legal definition of a chemical weapon and the general-purpose criterion1.5Schedules of chemicals and their rationale1.6Purposes not prohibited by the Convention1.7Riot control agents and their regime1.8Relationship with international humanitarian law1.9Legal vocabulary of the field1.10Exercise: legally classifying three scenarios
2.1Basic prohibitions: development, production and transfer2.2Obligation to destroy stockpiles and facilities2.3Initial and annual declarations2.4National authority and its role2.5National criminal legislation for implementation2.6Control of transfers and exports2.7Assistance and protection against use2.8Cooperation on peaceful uses of chemistry2.9Reporting and transparency2.10Practice: diagnosing national implementation
3.1Inspection regime for declared facilities3.2Facilities producing defined organic chemicals3.3Declaration obligations of the chemical industry3.4Challenge inspections and their procedure3.5Investigations of alleged use3.6Attribution mechanism and its mandate3.7Designated laboratories and chain of custody3.8Scientific Advisory Board and new developments3.9Practical limits of verification3.10Practice: preparing a facility for an inspection
4.1Prohibition of means causing unnecessary suffering4.2Prohibition of indiscriminate attacks4.3Protection of the civilian population4.4Protection of medical and humanitarian personnel4.5Protection of the environment4.6Use in non-international armed conflict4.7Command and individual responsibility4.8Related war crimes4.9Jurisdiction of international tribunals4.10Practice: opinion on an alleged use case
5.1Incident investigation and evidence gathering5.2Evidentiary standards and their difficulty5.3Investigation commissions and their reports5.4Role of the Security Council5.5Sanctions and diplomatic responses5.6Assistance to victims5.7Accountability and national jurisdiction5.8Protection of witnesses and personnel5.9Future agenda of the regime5.10Practice: designing the institutional response to an incident
6.1Choice of State or industrial sector6.2Inventory of applicable obligations6.3Analysis of the current national framework6.4Declaration and inspection obligations6.5Identification of implementation gaps6.6Proposal of legislative and administrative measures6.7Industry awareness plan6.8Compliance indicators6.9Analysis report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the enrolment period, which makes it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Zotero, NVivo, advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. The case studies draw on real procedures for analysing OPCW verification reports, international law case studies and academic simulations of national declarations. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain the historical evolution of the prohibition of chemical weapons.
Identify the obligations of States Parties to the Convention.
Understand the declaration and verification regime in the chemical industry.
Apply the principles of international humanitarian law to historical cases.
Analyse the mechanisms of attribution and response to non-compliance.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with full-time work.
The course uses Zotero, NVivo and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or Postgraduate Diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher-level programme. Check the credit recognition policy when you enrol.
Related programmes
ISO Course in Military Modular Construction
Online course of 300 hours in ISO in military modular construction. 6 modules covering EN 1990 (Eurocode: basis of structural design), EN 1993 (Eurocode 3: steel…
ISO Standards in AI Applied to UAS Course
Online 300-hour course on ISO standards in AI applied to UAS. 6 modules covering ISO 21384-3 (UAS: operational procedures), ISO/IEC 42001 (AI management systems) and PX4.…
ISO Standards Course in Hydrogen Storage
Online 300-hour course in ISO standards for hydrogen storage. 6 modules covering ISO/TR 15916 (hydrogen system safety), ISO 19881 (gaseous hydrogen fuel containers for vehicles) and…
More in Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems
All Defense, Military Engineering & Land Systems programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships