International Experts Convene in London to Tackle Evolving Chemical Weapons Threats

International counter-proliferation experts convened for a specialized security forum addressing modern chemical weapons threats, international disarmament challenges, and emerging technological risks.

London Security Conference Addresses Evolving Chemical Threats

The international conference, which has been running since 1998, is hosted jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Damian Johnson, Director for Homeland Defence and Strategic Threats at the Ministry of Defence, stated that international arms control has achieved major milestones through chemical weapons demilitarisation, but warned that the global community cannot afford complacency.

Chemical weapons demilitarisation is one of the great success stories of international arms control. But we cannot be complacent. The international community must help Syria to eradicate the Assad regime’s legacy chemical weapons programme. Russia must be held accountable for its continued use of chemical weapons in direct violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. And we must continue to evolve our detection, identification, attribution and destruction methods to strengthen deterrence and prevent the future use of chemical weapons. State and non-state actors must know that they will not be allowed to act with impunity.

Damian Johnson, Ministry of Defence

Syrian Demilitarisation and Accountability for Russia

Discussions during the opening sessions centered heavily on the changing global threat landscape, specifically highlighting the ongoing challenge of addressing the legacy of the Assad chemical weapons programme in Syria. A focused session named Syria 2.0: A New Challenge for a New Syria investigated the hurdles and prospects arising from the nation’s altered situation alongside measures to deal with the remnants of the Assad chemical weapons programme.

Sabrina Dallafior, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), noted that developments in Syria illustrate effective multilateral cooperation in practice. She emphasized that combining political resolve with technical capabilities yields concrete results in eliminating historical chemical arsenals.

The progress made in Syria shows successful multilateralism in action. It demonstrates how political will, technical expertise and international cooperation can deliver tangible results in addressing the legacy of chemical weapons. Preserving and developing that expertise is precisely why conferences such as this remain so important.

Sabrina Dallafior, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Delegates also addressed the persistent threat of chemical weapons deployment by Russia, stressing the necessity of enforcing accountability under international legal frameworks.

Technological Shifts and Future Defense Capabilities

Beyond historical remediation, participants evaluated the impact of rapid technological advancements on chemical security. Cassandra Simmons-Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Programs (Acting), cautioned that modern innovations are altering traditional security barriers.

The integration of super intelligent systems, automated chemistry, additive manufacturing, and drone delivery systems is rapidly lowering traditional barriers to chemical weapon acquisition and use, making proactive, creative collaboration with industry partners our team’s highest priority.

Cassandra Simmons-Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Programs (Acting)

Conference delegates reviewed long-standing remediation projects, including Japan’s work to destroy Japanese abandoned chemical weapons left in China after the Second World War. Technical specialists also examined advanced identification techniques for complex chemical samples, chemical forensics, source attribution, and the integration of artificial intelligence into chemical analysis.

Dr Paul Hollinshead, Chief Executive of Dstl, emphasized that specialized scientific infrastructure remains essential for countering emerging risks and preserving institutional knowledge against future security challenges.

Scientific expertise is critical to addressing the evolving chemical weapons challenges we face today and in the future. As threats and technologies emerge and change, the role of designated laboratories such as Dstl remains vital in preserving expertise, advancing scientific capabilities and ensuring that the global norm against chemical weapons remains strong, credible and enforceable.

Dr Paul Hollinshead, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

The schedule featured a dedicated Early Careers segment highlighting research from upcoming scientific minds and professionals, spanning mobile chemical threat screening and chemical exposure biomarker assessment to progress in chemical forensics, chlorine exposure evaluation, and tasks pertinent to OPCW verification.