(Ed/hb, Paris) This week, the European Union CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) Initiative holds its 9th International meeting of the National Focal Points in Brussels. Launched in 2010 to increase national and regional CBRN cooperation worldwide, this successful EU-funded initiative currently counts 64 partner countries.
The 2023 Brussels event, organised by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) with the support of the United Nations International Crime and Justice Institute (UNICRI), gathers over 150 participants including representatives from the partner countries with 51 National Focal Points. Representatives from external countries (US and Canada), EU Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany and Ireland), the United Nations (UNICRI, UNOCT, UNODA, UNODC, UN 1540), WHO and WOAH participate in the meeting.
The manifold programme offers discussions on the implementation of regional and interregional activities, sharing of good practice, CBRN thematic sessions, and network meetings. Information on other European Union programmes and priorities complementary to CBRN activities will also be given, and as it is a tradition, the event will close with an award ceremony for CBRN success stories.
At the opening the conference, Director Peter M. Wagner, Head of Service, FPI, European Commission, said that he was proud to see that the CoE Initiative has reached a certain maturity stage with over 100 projects, but that it is still developing. He was looking forward to new ideas to emerge, tackling the urgent topics of climate change, protection of critical infrastructure, dual use and gender equality.
Our magazine is present at the event and will report in its next edition (N°48) about the conference.
More information of the CBRN CoE Initiative: https://cbrn-risk-mitigation.network.europa.eu/eu-cbrn-centres-excellence_en
