Preventing chemical weapon re‑emergence by countering chemical terrorism

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—4 March 2024— The OPCW Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism (OEWG-T) met in its first session of 2024 at the Headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to review activities from 2023 and elaborate on future plans. The risk of chemical weapons being used by non-state actors has been identified as an emerging challenge in the struggle for a world free of chemical weapons and poses a growing risk for all countries. The possibility of non-state actors using chemical weapons is furthered by technology advances, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools which could aid chemical synthesis and novel delivery mechanisms, such as drones.

The OEWG-T forms the nucleus of efforts by OPCW Member States in addressing the growing risk of chemical terrorism. Its first meeting for 2024 reviewed activities from the previous year, culminating in a two-day Tabletop Exercise organised in November 2023 with financial support from the European Union and facilitated by the OPCW Technical Secretariat.

The Tabletop Exercise centred around a simulated scenario of a chemical attack which participants were asked to manage and react to, and to develop best-practice recommendations for future action. Forty-eight participating professionals from 24 OPCW Member States shared recommendations for best practices, drawing on their personal and national expertise in emergency response, law enforcement, diplomacy, chemical industry, the military, and chemical incident investigation.  

The Chair of the OEWG-T, H.E Ambassador Vusimuzi Madonsela of South Africa, called on Member States to act: “Even after the destruction of the last declared stockpiles of chemical weapons in July 2023, we continue to live in precarious times, when there are still such weapons that may emerge in the hands of non-state actors, which continues to pose a serious threat to international security. The insights gained from the Tabletop Exercise can significantly contribute to strengthening our global response mechanisms against the threat of chemical terrorism. Let us use the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism to enhance our knowledge, sharpen our skills and unify our efforts towards a safer and more secure world.”

The importance of the exercise in the current global environment was also highlighted by Mr, Marcin Wroblewski Director of the OPCW’s Office of Strategy and Policy, stating: “Chemical terrorism is a significant emerging threat; terrorist actors using new technologies have unprecedented access to chemical weapons of mass destruction.”

The Exercise’s unique value was its simulation of the full life cycle of an imagined chemical terrorist attack, moving from pre-attack to immediate response and crisis management, to a post-attack investigation. This format challenged participants with the simultaneous and interrelated challenges of preparation, response, investigation, communications, and security following an incident. It required participants to develop comprehensive practical and efficient responses capturing the full effects of any choices made.

The Tabletop Exercise delivered key lessons for national chemical counterterrorism strategies. In their final evaluation, participants noted broad challenges of incident response, including holistic and comprehensive incident management, considered health, public security, communications, and emergency response implications, and urged all States to develop a centralised crisis command and control centre. Participants further emphasised the importance of clear and timely crisis communications to mitigate public panic and to counter mis- and disinformation.

Finally, participants noted that capacity building and preparation formed the bedrock of effective response. This ranged from having effective legislation and laboratory capacity in place, to having an established diplomatic framework to ensure rapid access to international assistance and dedicated expertise during the incident and investigation.

Participants expressed a broad satisfaction the success of the Exercise. Representatives from the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office remarked: “The knowledge and lived examples shared during the table-top exercise was valuable to explain and give context to potential incidents and for countries to take away tangible ways that the learnings that can be applied and shared with our industry and government stakeholders.”

Drawing from these outcomes, the OEWG-T highlighted five steps for consideration:

1. The importance of additional assistance — from OPCW and bilateral — in capacity building and implementation;
2. Conducting further practical exercises at a regional level to address local circumstances;
3. A mechanism to incorporate policies addressing emerging technological challenges and opportunities;
4. Streamlining OPCW efforts with those of other relevant international bodies such as INTERPOL or the World Customs Organisation; and
5. Streamlining information sharing among States Parties to provide a common knowledge base.

H.E. Ambassador Mika-Markus Leinonen, European Union Liaison Officer in The Hague noted on the long-term relevance of these steps and EU’s support in the organisation of the Exercise that: “In the post-destruction phase, the European Union places the utmost importance on preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons. We are proud to have supported the first-ever OPCW Tabletop Exercise on how to prevent and respond to a chemical weapons attack by terrorists.”

Background

The Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism (OEWG-T) is the main body at the OPCW for the coordination and discussion of policy measures to address chemical terrorism. The OEWG-T is an open group facilitated by but not part of the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in which any Member State can choose to attend any particular meeting or organised exercise. The Group gives Members States a venue for collective action and debate, with support, facilitation, and technical advice available from the Technical Secretariat.

 As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2023 the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 — totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents — were irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW’s strict verification regime.

For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

More Information

• Photos from the Event
• Preventing the Re-Emergence of Chemical Weapons | OPCW
• OPCW Holds Conference on Countering Chemical Terrorism | OPCW
• Note by the Director General: Status of the OPCW’s Contribution to Global Anti-Terrorism Efforts – 2023 | OPCW