International experts convene in London to tackle evolving chemical weapons threats
International experts gathered in London for the 28th Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference, bringing together policy, scientific and technical expertise to address current and future chemical weapons challenges.
- Discussions ranged from efforts to address Assad’s legacy chemical weapons programme in Syria and wider chemical weapons destruction challenges to chemical forensics, emerging technologies and future chemical security.
- Experts shared lessons from chemical weapons destruction programmes and explored the technologies and capabilities needed for future chemical security.
Hosted by the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the conference, which has been running since 1998, provided an international forum for exchanging expertise, sharing lessons from chemical weapons destruction programmes and developing practical responses to current and emerging chemical weapons challenges.
Opening the conference, keynote speakers included Damian Johnson, Director for Homeland Defence and Strategic Threats at the Ministry of Defence; Sabrina Dallafior, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); Cassandra Simmons-Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Programs (Acting); and Dr Paul Hollinshead, Chief Executive of Dstl.
The opening address reflected on the changing chemical weapons landscape, including the opportunity to address the legacy of the Assad chemical weapons programme in Syria, the continuing threat posed by chemical weapons use by Russia, and the importance of maintaining momentum and preserving expertise to ensure the international norm against chemical weapons is protected, strengthened and enforced.
Ministry of Defence’s Director for Homeland Defence and Strategic Threats, Damian Johnson said:
Chemical weapons demilitarisation is one of the great success stories of international arms control. But we cannot be complacent. The international community must help Syria to eradicate the Assad regime’s legacy chemical weapons programme. Russia must be held accountable for its continued use of chemical weapons in direct violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. And we must continue to evolve our detection, identification, attribution and destruction methods to strengthen deterrence and prevent the future use of chemical weapons. State and non-state actors must know that they will not be allowed to act with impunity.
The conference’s opening sessions placed particular emphasis on Syria. A dedicated panel, Syria 2.0: A New Challenge for a New Syria, examined the challenges and opportunities presented by the country’s changed circumstances and efforts to address the legacy of the Assad chemical weapons programme.
OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dallafior said:
The progress made in Syria shows successful multilateralism in action. It demonstrates how political will, technical expertise and international cooperation can deliver tangible results in addressing the legacy of chemical weapons. Preserving and developing that expertise is precisely why conferences such as this remain so important.
Alongside these current challenges, delegates considered the considerable experience accumulated through previous and ongoing chemical weapons destruction programmes.
Sessions covered progress in Japan’s work to destroy Japanese abandoned chemical weapons left in China after the Second World War and technical specialists also shared experience of destruction technologies and the practical lessons developed through their use.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Programs (Acting) Cassandra Simmons-Brown said:
The integration of super intelligent systems, automated chemistry, additive manufacturing, and drone delivery systems is rapidly lowering traditional barriers to chemical weapon acquisition and use, making proactive, creative collaboration with industry partners our team’s highest priority.
Attention then turned towards the capabilities that will be required to meet future chemical security challenges, including how specialists identify unknown chemicals in complex samples, chemical forensics and source attribution, the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to chemical analysis, analytical technologies, capacity building and knowledge management. The conference also considered the practical engineering challenges that can arise when dealing with unfamiliar chemical weapons destruction scenarios.
A dedicated Early Careers session showcased work from the next generation of scientists and practitioners. Presentations ranged from portable chemical threat screening and the analysis of biomarkers of chemical exposure to advances in chemical forensics, chlorine exposure analysis and work relevant to OPCW verification.
Dr Paul Hollinshead OBE MBA, Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), said:
Scientific expertise is critical to addressing the evolving chemical weapons challenges we face today and in the future.
As threats and technologies emerge and change, the role of designated laboratories such as Dstl remains vital in preserving expertise, advancing scientific capabilities and ensuring that the global norm against chemical weapons remains strong, credible and enforceable.