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 (Project n.46)

Contracting Party: European Commission, Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation – Europe Aid

Period: 2015-2018

URL: www.formit.org/storico/cbrn-coe46

Description:

Project 46 is aimed at the 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.

Project 46 is a three-year project in the South-East Asia region, funded by the European Union through its Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and implemented by Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP), a Spanish Governmental Organisation together with implementing partners FORMIT and L. Sacco University Hospital, an Italian teaching hospital specialising in Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bio-Emergencies.

Project 46 aims to enhance the capabilities of countries in the South-East Asia Region to respond to incidents involving CBRN materials. These incidents can range from deliberate terrorist or criminal use of such materials, to the accidental release of such materials due to human error or natural factors.

Project 46 seeks to train first responders, incident commanders and specialist teams in how to respond effectively to such incidents in a cooperative and coordinated manner. The project also envisages assisting countries in the region to review and evaluate their laboratory capabilities, safety procedures and waste management processes, particularly related to bio-hazardous material. The project aims further to raise awareness of the issues associated with CBRN incidents through a series of workshops and conferences in the region, as well as assisting countries to review and evaluate their legislative provisions related to CBRN issues.

The project building blocks are the following:

• Enhancing first responders capabilities in CBRN crisis management
• Evaluating and improving biosafety and biosecurity
• Promoting awareness raising on risk mitigation
• Support to strengthen legal framework

The project started in July 2015 and will last for 36 months.

The EU CBRN Risk Mitigation CoE Initiative is implemented jointly by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Overall coordination of the Initiative is carried out by representatives from both the JRC and UNICRI in close cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid (DG DEVCO) acting as the Initiative's Decision Making Body and the European External Action Service (EEAS).