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Programmatic Updates from the United States

(April-July 2024)

BSWG Updates

Over the last quarter, the U.S. Department of State supported biological threat reduction activities across the globe, including the following:

• The Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new bachelor's degree program in biosafety and biosecurity at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Kenya.  This is a collaborative effort with the International Federation of Biosafety Associations, Global Affairs Canada, and other partners, with CTR supporting students in the first cohort.  In Kakamega, CTR and other partners met with officials from the Government of Kenya and MMUST to show support for the program and held a session with the students to discuss career opportunities in biosafety and biosecurity.
• CTR engaged graduate and undergraduate students conducting research in microbiology, virology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics at universities and research institutions across Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines on security best practices for research collaboration and improvements to safeguard research data, intellectual property, and sensitive dual-use research materials.
• CTR hosted a workshop to strengthen outbreak response in the border regions of Kenya and Somalia engaging public health and veterinary officials from both countries.  In this workshop, participants developed communication plans and tested a transboundary joint risk assessment tool to be used during a high consequence pathogen outbreak along the border.
• CTR engaged Bulgarian emerging tech scientists to emphasize the importance of managing dual use technologies, rules/regulations to protect business reputation and global security, and practical tools to use when developing safety and security standard operating procedures.
• CTR convened Turkish stakeholders from universities and ministries to further refine a select agent list relevant to Türkiye and discuss how to develop a national biosecurity framework.  Stakeholders will reconvene in Fall 2024 to further finalize the list and develop frameworks to implement a select agent program.
• CTR engaged Indian women veterinarian health professionals to enhance capacity to rapidly detect outbreaks of high consequence pathogens.  Follow on efforts will re-engage this cohort to train women farmers on biosafety practices and proper reporting to empower women to improve biosafety and biosecurity practices in the laboratory and in the field.
• The Offices of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism and Biological Policy Staff, in partnership with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, co-hosted the Concurrent Investigations under the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism (UNSGM) International Tabletop Exercise in Geneva, Switzerland. Nearly 40 participants from 11 countries with expertise in law enforcement, public health, and policy discussed the complexities of conducting concurrent national and international public health and law enforcement investigations of alleged bioterrorism incidents, with a focus on the UNSGM process. Participants drafted pragmatic recommendations to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs to enhance the international community’s capability to investigate a suspected use of biological weapons.
• The Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund collaborated with South American regional partners including the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, the Brazilian Biosafety and Biosecurity Society, ANLIS Malbrán, and CDC-Perú to host the Regional Workshop to Strengthen the Detection and Reporting of Zoonotic Disease Outbreaks: Tabletop Exercise and Recommendations. This workshop brought together approximately 45 zoonotic disease surveillance experts from Argentina, Brazil, and Peru to discuss existing practices of zoonotic disease outbreak reporting within the region and to identify best methods for strengthening capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to biological events. Workshop participants worked together to identify gaps and formulate recommendations to improve detection and reporting at the country, regional, and international level.

Over the last quarter, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported the following biological threat reduction activities:

• The International Working Group on Strengthening the Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences (co-chaired by HHS/Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and USDA/Agricultural Research Service) hosted a webinar on “Piloting of the WHO Global Guidance Framework for the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences in Uganda (the Framework)”, by Ms. Sandra Matinyi, Public Health Consultant with the WHO Country Office for Uganda. Uganda has expressed interest and will be the first country to model the pilot project through a top-down approach under the lead of the Office of Prime Minister and support from WHO Country Office for Uganda, Regional Office for Africa, and WHO headquarters. The objective of this project is to guide the implementation, domestication, operationalization and adoption of the Framework in Uganda.
• The International Working Group on Strengthening the Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences developed a Guide to Training and Information Resources on the Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences - (Self) Assessment Framework - and an accompanying data collection tool. Members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (Dana Perkins, US, and Stuart Blacksell, UK) presented the key activities undertaken by WHO on operationalizing the Framework at the Project P81 - BIOSEC Enhanced Biosecurity in Southeast Asia Regional Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

NRSWG Updates

During the 2024 International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS), the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and its international partners highlighted their completed and future work to strengthen nuclear and radiological security globally and advance highly enriched uranium and plutonium minimization objectives. Some accomplishments included:

• Director General Grossi delivered the report on the recent International Physical Protection Advisory Service Mission held in the United States to Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk.
• NNSA and Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. signed a Joint Statement highlighting their cooperative efforts to remove over 520 kilogram of U.S.-origin HEU to the United States for downblending or disposal from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. They also pledged to minimize additional inventories of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium in Canada.
• NNSA and Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed their shared goals of advancing HEU minimization activities to strengthen nuclear security and the nonproliferation regime. Norway shared its plan to complete the first phase of in-country downblending of Norway’s HEU-thorium inventories before the end of 2024 and announced its intention to deploy the Mobile Melt-Consolidate system as soon as possible. These efforts support Norway’s goal of becoming HEU-free.
• NNSA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy reaffirmed their intention to minimize inventories of HEU and plutonium at multiple sites in Italy.
• NNSA and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further cooperation on nuclear security, emergency preparedness and response, and nonproliferation cooperation.
• NNSA and the European Union announced a Joint Statement on enhancing radioactive source security through multilateral capacity building. This partnership highlights the importance of the security of radioactive materials in use, storage, and transport to prevent the use of these materials in acts of terrorism.
• At ICONS, 28 countries signed a Joint Statement on the Role of Nuclear Security in Harnessing Nuclear Power. Countries signing the Joint Statement note their understanding that effective nuclear security and emergency preparedness and response facilitates access to, and preserves, the benefits of nuclear energy and other peaceful nuclear applications by fostering public confidence in its safe and sustainable deployment to meet energy needs, combat climate change and achieve sustainable development goals. Countries signing the Joint Statement commit to taking action to develop and strengthen national nuclear security infrastructure. The Joint Statement was submitted to the IAEA and has been published as IAEA Information Circular (INFCIRC) 1217. Additional countries can subscribe to INFCIRC 1217 by submitting a note verbale to the IAEA expressing their intention to do so.
• The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosted a side event at ICONS with panelists from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the Republic of Korea Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, and the United Kingdom Office for Nuclear Regulation to discuss the growing popularity of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) as a business tool, national security asset, and recreational hobby. The side event participants discussed that as the use and capabilities of UAS grow, preparedness and mitigation need to be continuously reassessed. The panelists also shared that the challenges posed by complex regulatory frameworks are universal and require deliberate interagency engagements.

The U.S. Department of State and the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection co-hosted a side event at ICONS to discuss the value of National Nuclear Forensics Libraries (NNFLs) for investigating radioactive and nuclear (R/N) material outside of regulatory control.  The event featured a joint presentation by U.S. and German experts about a "communications exercise" in which Germany queried the U.S. NNFL about a cobalt-60 source found in scrap metal.  Participants learned how to compose and submit their own NNFL queries, which could help them solve trafficking cases, close security gaps, and improve R/N safety practices in their home countries. 

CBRNWG Updates

In June, the United States Department of Homeland Security published an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Report, which identifies the trends in AI and types of AI models that might present or intensify biological and chemical threats. The report offers recommendations to mitigate potential threats to national security in the training, deployment, publication, and use of AI models and associated data, as well as underscores the vital role of safety evaluations and whole-of-community guardrails. Read more about this effort and access the full report (here).

CSWG Updates

• Local experts from the Libya Chemicals Safety and Security Society held two chemical security trainings for small to medium sized chemical companies in Benghazi and Misratah with DOS/CTR support.
• DOS/CTR engaged 15 members of the Iraqi Chemical Syndicate, an Iraqi industry association, during a two day training in April on chemical security best practices, including dual-use chemical management, lifecycle assessment, and risk management.
• From May 15-17 in Amman, Jordan, DOS/CTR trained 19 participants from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) Civil Defense Directorate and Joint Crisis Coordination Center to improve recognition of chemical, biological, and radiological events, strengthen communication and coordination between stakeholders, and enhance the IKR’s WMD-incident response posture.
• DOS/CTR is supporting the travel of participants from Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco to the 27th IUPAC International Conference on Chemical Education to present on their efforts in advancing chemical security in academia and participate in side meetings on chemical security curriculum development.
• From May 6-8, 2024, CTR engaged compliance officials from the Turkish pharmaceutical sector in a three-day know-your-customer and due diligence training to mitigate the diversion and misuse of pharmaceutical-based agents (PBA) by malign state actors.  Participants were trained in advanced open-source techniques for detecting high-risk and shell companies’ procurement tactics with a focus on the cargo transportation and general export of PBAs.
• In Bangladesh, CTR’s Chemical Security Program offered an in-person training program on best practices for developing and implementing insider threat mitigation programs, new employee screening systems, and chemical security trainings within their industries. Overall, the 25 participants learned how to integrate the principles of chemical security into key business practices.
• CTR’s gathered 16 Indian and 11 Bangladeshi participants from industry and government for a virtual training that addressed risks associated with the online sale of chemical materials. The training highlighted points of vulnerability within chemical e-commerce––a growing sector in both countries––how threat actors operating within South Asia can exploit these security gaps and how industry can mitigate risks through online customer vetting and due diligence practices.
• CTR also trained 20 Bangladeshi and Indian chemical manufacturing personnel on how to use virtual and manual risk assessment tools to screen for potential procurement efforts by proliferator states.
• Local experts from the Libya Chemicals Safety and Security Society held two chemical security trainings for small to medium sized chemical companies in Benghazi and Misratah with DOS/CTR support.
• DOS/CTR engaged 15 members of the Iraqi Chemical Syndicate, an Iraqi industry association, during a two day training in April on chemical security best practices, including dual-use chemical management, lifecycle assessment, and risk management.
• From May 15-17 in Amman, Jordan, DOS/CTR trained 19 participants from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) Civil Defense Directorate and Joint Crisis Coordination Center to improve recognition of chemical, biological, and radiological events, strengthen communication and coordination between stakeholders, and enhance the IKR’s WMD-incident response posture.
• DOS/CTR is supporting the travel of participants from Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco to the 27th IUPAC International Conference on Chemical Education to present on their efforts in advancing chemical security in academia and participate in side meetings on chemical security curriculum development.
• From May 6-8, 2024, CTR engaged compliance officials from the Turkish pharmaceutical sector in a three-day know-your-customer and due diligence training to mitigate the diversion and misuse of pharmaceutical-based agents (PBA) by malign state actors.  Participants were trained in advanced open-source techniques for detecting high-risk and shell companies’ procurement tactics with a focus on the cargo transportation and general export of PBAs.
• In Bangladesh, CTR’s Chemical Security Program offered an in-person training program on best practices for developing and implementing insider threat mitigation programs, new employee screening systems, and chemical security trainings within their industries. Overall, the 25 participants learned how to integrate the principles of chemical security into key business practices.
• CTR’s gathered 16 Indian and 11 Bangladeshi participants from industry and government for a virtual training that addressed risks associated with the online sale of chemical materials. The training highlighted points of vulnerability within chemical e-commerce––a growing sector in both countries––how threat actors operating within South Asia can exploit these security gaps and how industry can mitigate risks through online customer vetting and due diligence practices.
• CTR also trained 20 Bangladeshi and Indian chemical manufacturing personnel on how to use virtual and manual risk assessment tools to screen for potential procurement efforts by proliferator states.
• On April 29, 2024, the Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats hosted a webinar on gender inclusivity. The webinar, Women Leaders in Action, featured six female leaders in their fields of chemical security from around the world, drew more than 500 viewers globally, and discussed a variety of actionable takeaways than anyone can immediately take to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive chemical security culture. Launched in 2018, the Global Congress is jointly led by INTERPOL, Global Affairs Canada, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).