European Union CBRN Academy meets at the UN campus in Turin
The European Union CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) convened more than 250 experts from over 70 countries from 8-12 June at the UN campus in Turin, Italy, at the European Union CBRN Academy to address the misuse of CBRN materials.
Funded by the European Union and organised by the European Commission and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the CBRN Academy is a flagship event of the EU CBRN CoE initiative, the EU’s largest civilian external security programme.
According to information published by the EU on 12 June, country presentations and regional exchanges throughout the week "helped connect political dialogue with practical areas for follow-up, including training, technical assistance, specialised equipment, institutional development and donor coordination".
The EU wrote that the academy also hosted bilateral meetings, allowing countries, donors and technical partners to identify where cooperation can respond to concrete needs.
Demonstrations and technology fair
Participants attended demonstrations of rescEU CBRN capabilities funded by the European Union, including mobile biological and chemical laboratories, detection, sampling and monitoring vehicles, robotic systems and advanced virtual training technologies.
Representatives of the host country, Italy, were also present as Italian Civil Protection and the Italian National Fire and Rescue Service helped "connect the academy to Europe’s emergency preparedness architecture and to capabilities that can be mobilised in crisis situations".
Meanwhile, more than 30 companies, technology providers and public institutions also presented solutions related to all aspects of CBRN preparedness and response during a technology fair to "create a direct bridge between operational needs and available technical solutions" and offering a "clearer understanding of the contexts in which their tools may be used".
