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European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centres of Excellence Initiative (CoE)

Awareness-Raising workshops at the CBRNe Summit Asia 2016

Hanoi, Vietnam -

Project 46 - Awareness-Raising workshops at the CBRNe Summit Asia 2016

On December 7, 2016 in Hanoi (Vietnam) two awareness-raising workshops took place at the the CBRNe Summit Asia within the framework of Project 46 of the European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centres of Excellence Initiative (CoE).

These workshops, aimed at senior-level policy and decision-makers from the South-East Asia region and beyond, were designed to raise awareness among delegates of some of the priority issues associated with CBRN risk-mitigation in the region.

The morning workshop, titled "CBRN risks, capabilities and responses: a regional strategy for awareness raising" focused on awareness raising activities and opportunities within the region. The afternoon workshop, titled "CBRN risks, capabilities and responses: from awareness to action" focused on the potential development of a Regional CBRN Action Plan in support of the various National CBRN Action Plans currently in development.

The workshops included presentations from a number of speakers from South-East Asia and beyond such as Mr. Harro Wittermans (Regional Coordinator for South-East Asia, CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance Programme of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute - UNICRI); Professor Irma Makalinao from the University of the Philippines; and Mr. Carlos Correia Lopes as representative of the European Union. Each workshop concluded with a round-table session involving several CBRN experts from across the region.

These workshops were the first of a number of regional activities designed to raise awareness on key CBRN issues which will be organised by the EU CBRN CoE Project 46 titled "Enhancement of CBRN capacities of South East Asia in addressing CBRN risk mitigation concerning CBRN first response, biosafety and biosecurity, awareness raising and legal framework" in the near future.

The EU funded CBRN CoE Risk Mitigation Initiative involves 55 partner countries in 8 regions of the world, among them South-East Asia with its 10 member countries.