Reuters reported that the RescEU element of the European Commission (see interview with Dr Cavallo in CBRNe World 2022-01) had provided Finland with 242 million euros ($262 million) to set up for the first time a reserve against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats for use by all member states. The reserve will consist of rescue equipment and medical supplies, such as antidotes and radiation metres, that are intended to protect first responders and the civilian population, Finland's interior ministry said. Ready for use from 2024, the reserve aims to dispatch supplies to a disaster or crisis area within 12 hours of an offer of assistance being accepted, it added.

Also Reliefweb noted the new RescEU centre in Poland, that is being used for energy donations for Ukraine: Today, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, are visiting the new rescEU energy hub in Poland that will act as a logistical centre for delivering emergency energy assistance to Ukraine. The EU hub will allow international partners and the private sector to help channel their donations, while also fully financing the transport of supplies from the hub to Ukraine. The hub is being used to deliver power generators to Ukraine, helping the country sustain electricity supply in the midst of Russia's deliberate attacks on its energy infrastructure. These EU-channelled generators range from smaller sizes, capable of powering single households, to much larger models suitable for keeping public buildings and vital community services running such as hospitals and central heating points. The EU has awarded €114 million to Poland for purchasing generators to be part of this rescEU energy reserve. As a first step, 1,000 new generators from the rescEU reserve in Poland will be delivered to Ukraine. This comes on top of the 1,400 generators and millions of energy items already offered via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

Update: The capsule has now been found on the Highway near the town of Newman, and will be taken to a secure facility in Perth. 

Mining giant Rio Tinto is working with authorities to try to find a radioactive capsule that went missing in Western Australia this month.

Rio Tinto said the device involved was a density gauge, which was being used at its Gudai-Darri mine site in Western Australia to measure the density of iron ore feed. The silver capsule from the gauge is a mere is just 6mm (0.24 inches) in diameter and 8mm long.

The capsule was confirmed present by a geiger counter after the density gauge was packaged for transportation on January 12th. However, on January 25th it was reported missing. It is believed to have been lost between Newman and the city of Perth, a distance of roughly 1,400km (870 miles).

State officials have issued a radiation alert across a vast area of Western Australia, and authorities are searching for the capsule on the route from Newman to a storage facility in the northeast suburbs of Perth.

Originally published in Police Professional 

Following the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, the Government committed to enhancing its capabilities to detect terrorist activity including that which involves the use of bomb-making materials, also known as ‘explosives precursors’.

New measures will come into force under the Poisons Act 1972 on October 1 and include improving requirements for reporting of suspicious activity, adding new substances, providing additional obligations on online marketplaces, and requiring that certain information is recorded when selling regulated explosives precursors to business users.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “Around the UK, businesses and individuals use various chemicals for a wide range of legitimate uses. However, we must also minimise the risk posed by the illicit use of bomb-making materials and poisons.

“It is our responsibility to ensure our robust controls of these substances are updated and controls in place against those who wish to abuse them. These steps will do just that.”

New chemicals will be added to the lists of reportable and regulated substances under secondary legislation laid by the Government on Monday (January 23). It said this will prevent access to materials of the “highest concern for illicit purposes”, while maintaining access for legitimate purposes. Shops and businesses will continue to be required to report any suspicious transactions and to report any significant losses or thefts.

Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing Matt Jukes said: “Every year, reports from the public, including industry and businesses, play a vital role in how we tackle the terrorist threat in the UK.

“These new measures will serve to enhance how we received information and intelligence from our communities and also enable us to take targeted and robust enforcement action to keep people safe.”

British Retail Consortium retail products adviser Adrian Simpson added: “Retailers play an important part in reporting any suspicious activity from customers when buying particular chemical products and we welcome these important legislative changes which will better protect the public.

“Retailers will ensure they clearly communicate all changes to their customers and will provide additional information online to explain the risks associated with certain products.”

The Poisons Act 1972 already sets out controls of chemicals which can be used to make explosives and poisons, restricting the general public’s access to the most dangerous materials. It permits a licensing regime for the purchase and use of regulated substances where there is a legitimate need and no safer alternative. A public consultation ran on the changes from December 2021 to March 2022.

What do Levi Stadium, Alcatraz Island, BART, Ring Central Stadium and Santa Clara University have in common?  They are all hosting an exercise called BAYEX 2023. California National Guard's Hayward-based 95th WMD Civil Support Team has partnered with federal, state, and local agencies including the FBI, NCRIC, USCG Pac Strike Team, Civil Support Teams from Los Angeles, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado, local fire and law enforcement, and CoCo County’s Health Hazmat Team to conduct a four-day exercise responding to domestic threat, training scenarios.  It’s real-world training that mimics worst-case-scenarios aimed at building interagency skills.  BAYEX 2023 offers participants an opportunity to reinforce vitally important relationships and become better equipped with the tools needed to respond to CBRNE attacks.

Civil Support Teams were created in the mid-1990s to provide very rapid military chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear response capability.  The 95^th CST is one of two such highly specialized units in California. They provide instrumental personnel and equipment to support local and State agencies. The mission of CSTs is to support civil authorities at a domestic CBRNE incident site. These highly specialized units identify agents and substances, assess current and projected consequences, advise on response measures and assist with appropriate requests for additional State and Federal support.

BAYEX 2023 will involve nearly 1,800 participants including planners, responders, observers, controllers and role players over this four-day regional effort.  Started in 2002, BAYEX is an annual training exercise that provides participants with training for a multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency response to a simulated complex  and coordinated terrorist attack. The exercise focuses on site management and interoperability of communications networks, with evaluations of response concepts, plans and capabilities.

BAYEX’s overall scenario will feature a mock multifaceted CBRNE attack targeting commerce, modes of mass transit and places of international interest. The exercise includes scenarios at six different sites over the course of four days. One location is on Alcatraz Island, site of the infamous former prison—now a major tourist attraction. Participants will be tasked with evacuating the island after the dispersion of an unknown chemical agent. Another scenario will take place on a Bay Area Rapid Transit train near the Millbrae station. This particular scenario will test the participants’ ability to identify and mitigate radiation sources and a radiation dispersal device planted on a Train.  Other sites include the Hornet Museum in Alameda, Santa Clara University and Ring Central Coliseum.

Pascale Ferrier, of Quebec, has plead guilty to sending a threatening letter containing ricin to Donald Trump at the White House when he was president. 

Press release from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

“Unprecedented Danger”: Russia-Ukraine War Pushes Iconic Doomsday Clock Closest to Midnight Ever in its History. 

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Also Cite Bio-Threats, Nuclear Proliferation, Climate Crisis, State-Sponsored Disinformation and Disruptive Technology.

The Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight, due largely but not exclusively to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation. The new Clock time was also influenced by continuing threats posed by the climate crisis and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with advancing technologies and biological threats such as COVID-19.

Rachel Bronson, PhD, president and CEO, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality. 90 seconds to midnight is the closest the Clock has ever been set to midnight, and it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly. The US government, its NATO allies and Ukraine have a multitude of channels for dialogue; we urge leaders to explore all of them to their fullest ability to turn back the Clock.”

The Doomsday Clock’s time is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board with the support of the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors, which includes 10 Nobel Laureates. Previously, the Doomsday Clock had been set at 100 seconds to midnight since 2020.

The Doomsday Clock statement explains that “Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks. And worst of all, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict—by accident, intention, or miscalculation—is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high . . .. Russia has also brought its war to the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor sites, violating international protocols and risking widespread release of radioactive materials. Efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to secure these plants so far have been rebuffed.” The statement has been translated into Ukrainian and Russian.

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said:

“The Doomsday Clock is sounding an alarm for the whole of humanity. We are on the brink of a precipice. But our leaders are not acting at sufficient speed or scale to secure a peaceful and liveable planet. From cutting carbon emissions to strengthening arms control treaties and investing in pandemic preparedness, we know what needs to be done. The science is clear, but the political will is lacking. This must change in 2023 if we are to avert catastrophe. We are facing multiple, existential crises. Leaders need a crisis mindset.”

Ban Ki-moon, Deputy Chair of The Elders and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, said:

“Three years ago, I helped unveil the Doomsday Clock when its hands were last moved. Today they are even closer to midnight, showing how much more perilous our world has become in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events and Russia’s outrageous war on Ukraine. Leaders did not heed the Doomsday Clock’s warnings in 2020. We all continue to pay the price. In 2023 it is vital for all our sakes that they act.”

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President of Mongolia and member of The Elders, added: “As a former President of a country landlocked between two large powers, I know how important international diplomacy is when it comes to tackling existential threats. Today our world faces multiple crises. A common thread runs through them all: failure of leadership. We need a collective response rooted in the spirit and values of the UN Charter that can put us back on a pathway to peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.”

Sivan Kartha, PhD, senior scientist, Stockholm Environmental Institute, lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and member, Science and Security Board (SASB), Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “Dealing with the crisis of climate change requires faith in institutions of multilateral governance and cooperation. The geopolitical fissure opened by the invasion of Ukraine has weakened trust among countries and the global will to cooperate.”

Suzet McKinney, DrPH, Principal and Director of Life Sciences, Sterling Bay, and member, Science and Security Board (SASB), Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “Devastating events like the COVID-19 pandemic can no longer be considered rare, once-a-century occurrences. However, disease-induced disaster can be avoided if countries around the world cooperate on global health strategies.”

Steve Fetter, PhD, dean of the graduate school and professor of public policy, University of Maryland, fellow, American Physical Society, member, National Academy of Sciences Committee on International Security and Arms Control, and member, Science and Security Board (SASB), Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said: “Even if nuclear use is avoided in Ukraine, the war has challenged the nuclear order—the system of agreements and understandings that have been constructed over six decades to limit the dangers of nuclear weapons.”

The 2023 Doomsday Clock statement details other threats and threat multipliers beyond the most immediate risks related to the Russia-Ukraine War:

Nuclear Weapons

• The last remaining nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States, New START, stands in jeopardy. Unless the two parties resume negotiations and find a basis for further reductions, the treaty will expire in February 2026. This would eliminate mutual inspections, deepen mistrust, spur a nuclear arms race, and heighten the possibility of a nuclear exchange.
• China’s considerable expansion of its nuclear capabilities is particularly troubling, given its consistent refusal to consider measures to enhance transparency and predictability. The US Defense Department claims Beijing may increase its arsenal fivefold by 2035 and could soon rival the nuclear capabilities of the United States and Russia, with unpredictable consequences for stability.
• North Korea has greatly stepped up its intermediate and longer-range missile testing. In late March, North Korea successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. In the following months, it also launched numerous other ballistic missiles, most of short range. Perhaps most concerning, on October 4, North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan. Meanwhile, US officials contend that North Korea is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear weapon test.
• Iran continues to increase its uranium enrichment capacity, albeit under international safeguards outside the confines of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that once restrained it. This positions Iran closer to a nuclear weapons capability, should it decide to cross that threshold. Returning to the nuclear deal would reduce risks and provide a path forward, and the United States, Europe, and other countries have made reasonable efforts to revive the deal. But instability in Iran and Tehran’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine will complicate successful negotiations to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
• India continues to modernize its nuclear arsenal of some 160 warheads, with new delivery systems now under development to complement or replace existing nuclear-capable aircraft, land-based delivery systems, and sea-based systems. Pakistan has an arsenal of similar size and continues to expand its warheads, delivery systems, and fissile material production.
• The United States, Russia, and China are now pursuing full-fledged nuclear weapons modernization programs, setting the table for a dangerous new “third nuclear age” of competition. Long-standing concerns about arms racing in South Asia and missile arms races in Northeast Asia complete a dismal picture that needs to be addressed.

Climate Crisis

• The Russia-Ukraine War’s effects are not limited to an increase in nuclear danger; they also undermine global efforts to combat climate change. Countries dependent on Russian oil and gas have sought to diversify their supplies and suppliers, leading to expanded investment in natural gas exactly when such investment should have been shrinking.
• Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels, after having rebounded from the COVID economic decline to an all-time high in 2021, continued to rise in 2022 and hit another record high. A decline in Chinese emissions was overshadowed by a rise in the US, India, and elsewhere.
• Not only did weather extremes continue to plague diverse parts of the globe, but they were more evidently attributable to climate change. Countries of West Africa experienced floods that were among the most lethal in their histories, owing to a rainfall event that was assessed to be 80 times more likely because of climate change. Extreme temperatures in Central Europe, North America, China, and other regions of the Northern Hemisphere this past summer led to water shortages and soil drought conditions that led in turn to poor harvests, further undermining food security at a time when the Ukraine conflict has already driven food price increases. Pakistan faced intense floods due to a “monsoon on steroids” that inundated one-third of the country, affecting 33 million people directly and unleashing cascading effects, including a major crop failure, an epidemic of water-borne diseases, and the destruction of infrastructure, homes, livestock, and livelihoods.

Bio-Threats

• Devastating events like the COVID-19 pandemic can no longer be considered rare, once-a-century occurrences. The total number and diversity of infectious disease outbreaks has increased significantly since 1980, with more than half caused by zoonotic diseases (that is, disease originating in animals and transmitted to humans). As such, zoonoses put the human population at significant risk for pandemics. There is immense, uncharacterized diversity within the 26 virus families and the many phyla of bacteria and other microbes known to infect humans. The world’s ability to predict which of these viruses and microbes are most likely to cause human disease is woefully inadequate.
• Laboratory accidents continue to occur frequently. Opportunities for human error, limited understanding of novel disease characteristics, lack of local government knowledge about the types of research occurring in labs in their jurisdictions, and confusion about lab safety requirements all challenge current laboratory biosafety and biosecurity programs. It is also easier now than ever to obtain and modify pathogens, increasing the chances of pandemics caused by laboratory accidents.
• Recent events—including especially the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its continuing disinformation efforts in regard to biological weapons—have changed the landscape of biological threats. The risk that Russia will engage in biological warfare increases as conditions in Ukraine become more chaotic, weakening norms of warfare. Escalation of the war in Ukraine poses many potentially existential threats to humanity; one of them is biological.

Disinformation and Disruptive Technology

• On the disinformation front, there was some good news: For the most part, the American electorate rejected election deniers in 2022, and in France, President Emmanuel Macron overcame a historic challenge from his country’s far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Meanwhile, the Biden administration continued its efforts to increase the role of scientists in informing public policy.
• On the other hand, cyber-enabled disinformation continues unabated. In the United States, political opposition to a “Disinformation Governance Board” proposed by the Department of Homeland Security was grounded in willful misrepresentation and the politics of personal destruction. But non-substantive and misleading as its messages were, the opposition succeeded in causing the department to withdraw its proposal. These types of attacks are hardly new but are emblematic of corruption in the information environment.
• Inside Russia, meanwhile, government control of the information ecosystem has blocked the wide dissemination of truthful information about the Ukraine war. Chinese use of surveillance technology has continued apace in Xinjiang. As we stated last year, the extensive use of surveillance technologies has disturbing implications for human rights and poses a distinct threat to civil society.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has also shredded norms of behavior in space, publicly threatening to use an anti-satellite weapon against US Starlink satellites, arguing that they are not merely a commercial system but a military one as well. Ukraine has made use of Starlink in its conflict with Russia.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Eugene Rabinowitch and University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project. The scientists felt that they “could not remain aloof to the consequences of their work” and worked to inform the public and policymakers about man-made threats to human existence.

The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to convey how close humanity is to destroying itself. Designed by painter Martyl Langsdorf, the Clock has become an international symbol of the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change and disruptive technologies.

Oringinally published by Robert Mendick in the Telegraph.

A businessman has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism over an alleged attempt to import radioactive uranium into the UK. 

On Sunday January 8th, news emerged that police in Germany had arrested a 32 year old Iranian man on suspicion of planning a terrorist act. 

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. has announced that it has signed an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity procurement contract with a maximum value up to $379.6 million to supply RSDL (Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion Kit) for use by all branches of the U.S. military. Emergent’s Canadian Subsidiary will serve as the sole subcontractor to deploy RSDL to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) through a new contract award to the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). The new contract has a base year, which began in December 2022, and four single year option renewals.

“Emergent has a 25-year history of developing and supplying medical countermeasures (MCM) for the U.S. and other governments around the world,” said Paul Williams, senior vice president, government MCM at Emergent. “RSDL has been a routine part of the U.S. warfighters armamentarium for 13 years. This new contract award demonstrates the unique capabilities of our core MCM business to continue to meet the needs and deliver on the requirements for chemical and biological preparedness of public and military forces, which is an important part of our mission to help protect and enhance life.”

Emergent’s proprietary MCM products and product candidates help to address numerous public health threats, including the RSDL Kit, which is intended to remove or neutralize chemical warfare agents and T-2 toxin from the skin. RSDL has been procured for military and first responder use for over a decade and has been deployed in over 30 countries.

“CCC is pleased to act as prime contractor for the purchase of RSDL which is made by Emergent BioSolutions’ Canadian Subsidiary,” said Mr. Bobby Kwon, President and CEO at CCC. “This is once again a testament to the strength of the Canada-U.S. defense relations.”

Meeting covergae of the UN Security Council's 9235th meeting, originally published on UN website. 

Syria must fully cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to close all outstanding issues related to its declaration, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today during its monthly briefing on the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013) on the elimination of the country’s chemical weapons programme, highlighting that long-standing gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies remain unresolved.

Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, speaking on behalf of High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, said efforts by the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team to clarify all outstanding issues regarding Syria’s initial and subsequent declarations have not progressed since the Council last met on the matter.

The OPCW Technical Secretariat has informed the Syrian National Authority of its intention to send a reduced team to conduct limited in-country activities in Syria from 17 to 22 January, he said, stressing that Syria’s full cooperation with the Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues.  As has been stressed many times before, due to the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved, Syria’s declaration cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, he said.

The OPCW Technical Secretariat continues to plan the next round of inspections of the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, to be held in 2023, he continued.  While the OPCW Technical Secretariat was awaiting Syria’s response on the latest version of the agenda for the in-person meeting between the OPCW Director-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, Damascus suggested a preliminary meeting in Beirut.  Meanwhile, on 8 December, OPCW, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Syria finalized an extension of the tripartite agreement for a period of six months from 1 January up to and including 30 June.

The OPCW fact-finding mission remains in the process of studying all available information related to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, he said.  The investigation and identification team also continues its work and will issue further reports in due course.  It is imperative to hold accountable all those who would dare to use chemical weapons, he said, voicing hope that members of the Council will unite on the issue.

In the ensuing discussion, speakers welcomed the Council’s new non-permanent members, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland, and once again condemned any use of chemical weapons.  Several members reiterated their concern about the ongoing lack of progress on the file and called on Syria’s full cooperation with OPCW, while others questioned the utility of the monthly meetings on the matter.

The representative of the Russian Federation said discussing this topic in the Council each month was to “tick the box” for the benefit of a number of Western countries’ domestic political objectives, devalue the debate and undermine the 15-member organ’s authority.  The OPCW Director-General has repeatedly come up with excuses as to why he is unable to attend the Council’s meetings for the briefing, while providing a “carbon copy” of the reports.  Until the meeting schedule is optimized, he sees no point in engaging in the debate on the substance of the issue, he said.

The representative of the United States, however, pointed out that despite Moscow’s repeated assertions that OPCW’S Director-General has not met with the Assad regime, the regime has stalled the scheduling of such meetings since June 2021.  OPCW and the United Nations have independently concluded that the regime has used chemical weapons on eight occasions, he said, calling on Syria to comply with its obligations and immediately cease its obstructions of the OPCW Expert Team so the issue of chemical weapons use by the country is resolved once and for all.

Japan’s representative, Council President for January, speaking in his national capacity, said the use of chemical weapons should never be tolerated anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstance.  Syria must engage in good faith with the Technical Secretariat and provide all required documents to solve the outstanding issues related to the initial and subsequent declarations submitted by that country.  It should also refrain from making further excuses to impede the entry of the Declaration Assessment Team’s technical expert to its territory.

The representatives of the United Arab Emirates and China underscored the importance of dialogue for tangible progress on the issue.  Highlighting that the Syrian chemical file is one of the most politicized of the Council, the delegate of the United Arab Emirates called on the parties to work with a consensus-based and non-politicized approach.  China’s representative called for a holistic approach, noting that information provided by Syria’s Government on terrorist organizations possessing and using chemical weapons must be taken into full account.

Syria’s representative, pointing out that his country has never used a prohibited weapon or a toxic chemical matter, said that over the past nine years, Syrian authorities granted more than 500 entrance visas to OPCW Technical Secretariat officials, facilitated 24 rounds of negotiations of the Declaration Assessment Team and nine rounds of inspections of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center.  He welcomed the request of the Technical Secretariat to enable a visit of a reduced Declaration Assessment Team to carry out limited activities.  Underscoring the illegal nature of the establishment of the investigation and identification team, he reiterated that his country does not recognize any conclusions of the “illegal” team.

Also speaking were representatives of Ghana, Brazil, Malta, Albania, Ecuador, Switzerland, France, United Kingdom, Türkiye and Iran.

The Ninth Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Review Conference concluded on December 16 with the adoption by consensus of a final document, which launches a new, expert-led process to strengthen the BWC to address the challenges of the future. We congratulate Special Representative Ken Ward and his team for their hard work during the three weeks of the Review Conference and the numerous preparatory meetings over the past year. We also commend Ambassador Leonardo Bencini, President of the Review Conference, for his dedication in bringing the States Parties to consensus on a final document.

The Review Conference established a new Working Group that will make recommendations on measures to strengthen the BWC. These will address advances in science and technology, confidence-building and transparency, compliance and verification, as well as national implementation measures, international cooperation, and preparedness and response.

While the final consensus document did not include all the improvements proposed by the United States, we are confident this document is a step forward in improving implementation of the Convention. We will continue to work with other countries who share the goal of a world free of biological weapons, while ensuring that legitimate biological and public health research continues under effective safety and security guidelines and assisting other countries to meet that goal.

Protect Duty legislation, now to be known as ‘Martyn’s Law’ in tribute of Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017, is set to be published in the spring. 

The purpose of Matyn's Law is to ensure publicly accessible locations take measures to protect the public from potential attacks, and will require all venues and local autorities in the UK to set out preventative action plans against terror attacks. 

Martyn’s Law will follow a tiered model linked to activity that takes place at a location and its capacity aimed to prevent undue burden on businesses

• A standard tier will apply to locations with a maximum capacity of over 100. The aim is to drive up use and engagement with existing resources that help teams undertake low-cost, simple yet effective activities to improve preparedness. This will include training, information sharing and completion of a preparedness plan to embed practices, such as locking doors to delay attackers’ progress or knowledge on lifesaving treatments that can be administered by staff whilst awaiting emergency services. 
• An enhanced tier will focus on high-capacity locations in recognition of the potential consequences of a successful attack. Locations with a capacity of over 800 people at any time, will additionally be required to undertake a risk assessment to inform the development and implementation of a security plan to assess the balance of risk reduction against the time, money and effort required to achieve a successful level of security preparedness - a recognised standard in other regulatory regimes (including Fire and Health and Safety).

The Government will establish an inspection and enforcement regime, promoting compliance and positive cultural change and issuing credible and fair sanctions for serious breaches. 

Dedicated statutory guidance and bespoke support will be provided by the Government to ensure those in scope can effectively discharge their responsibilities, with even small venues also able to benefit from this and take voluntary action. Expert advice, training and guidance is also already available on the online protective security hub, ProtectUK.