New York – Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, chaired Thursday at the UN headquarters the High-level Side Event of the United Nations General Assembly entitled “CBRN Risk Mitigation in the context of Combatting Terrorism”.
The Side event aimed to enhance awareness of the current and possible future chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, including those related to terrorism.
The debate, held in the presence of Georgia and Philippines deputy foreign affairs ministers, focused on improving global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to CBRN threats by strengthening the procedures and interoperability of relevant international mechanisms.
On this occasion, Ambassador Hilale stressed the need for preventive and reactionary measures and underlined the importance of coordinating strategies at the national level on the basis of sub-regional cooperation.
The Side event showcased how the best practices developed by the European Union CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative, as promoted and enhanced by the United Nations Group of Friends of CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance, can serve as a model for adopting best practices in other areas of security governance.
The UN Group of Friends of CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance that contributed to the Side event, was established by the Governments of Georgia, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of the Philippines with the aim to address CBRN related topics at the United Nations.
The Group is a consultation and dialogue forum aimed at integrating the CBRN component in the international security architecture, sensitizing states on the importance of mitigating CBRN risks, and foster regional cooperation on CBRN challenges.
