Chemical and Biological Defense and Consequence Management

 

On July 15-16, 1999, IFPA held a workshop in Brussels at NATO headquarters that addressed for the first time national capabilities for dealing with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and possible Alliance-wide efforts to detect and respond to such threats. Representatives from eighteen member states, with Iceland as the sole exception, were present. The workshop was unique in that it gathered senior-level federal/national, regional, and state authorities from various agencies, ministries, and research laboratories of NATO nations responsible for responding to WMD attacks. It was also the first time that many national representatives had been in contact with their counterparts from other countries. The conference, chaired by Dr. Francesco Palmeri, director of civil emergency planning, and Robert B. Irvine, Jr., director of nuclear policy on NATO's International Staff, was designed to:

• Provide a forum for an exchange of information among NATO allies on initial national plans and procedures for handling WMD threats, especially those of a biological and chemical nature
• Identify more clearly the problems that emerging nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) risks may pose to civil populations
• Get a clearer sense of current national capabilities and some idea of what follow-on responses and technological capabilities may be required
• Explore the potential for cooperation among Allies in planning for defense against NBC threats, including the mitigation of consequences for civilian populations.