THE HAGUE, Netherlands—16 June 2026— As advances in science and know-how more and more form world safety, scientists are enjoying a rising function in serving to policymakers perceive rising dangers and alternatives. To strengthen that connection, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) introduced collectively 25 chemists and biologists — representing academia, authorities, and analysis establishments in 24 nations — for the primary OPCW-UNODA joint workshop on coverage and diplomacy for scientists.
The workshop, organised with monetary help from the governments on Norway and Armenia, passed off from 26 to 29 May 2026 on the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre). The occasion set out to shut the gap between scientists and policymakers and to promote the moral and accountable use of scientific data. As science and know-how advance at an unprecedented tempo, the demand for scientists who perceive and can assist form coverage, on each nationwide and worldwide ranges, has by no means been higher. Policymakers want skilled steerage on how know-how is evolving, what dangers are rising, and which governance responses really work.
Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, addressed that gap in a video message on the opening of the workshop. Policymakers, she mentioned, depend on scientists not solely to conduct analysis however to translate its implications for these making choices. “Your role in disarmament is not secondary,” she informed contributors. “It is central.”
H.E. Erling Rimestad, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Norway to the OPCW, additionally acknowledged the gap between science and coverage. “Too often, dual-use technologies are developed without full awareness of the policy frameworks. And too often, policymakers and diplomats work on verification and compliance without always fully comprehending the technical nuances of synthetic biology or chemical synthesis,” he highlighted.
“By building a shared understanding of risks and best practices—at national, regional, and international levels—we can ensure that scientific advances are used only for peaceful purposes, including in verification and compliance,” he added.
Why the 2 Conventions matter
Science and know-how underpin each the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), which share roots within the 1925 Geneva Protocol. Under the overall obligations of each treaties, advances in science should serve completely for peaceable functions. Given the overlap between the two Conventions — notably on toxins — and the rising convergence of the chemical and organic sciences, a coordinated multidisciplinary strategy is required to promote cooperation and the trade of greatest practices on each nationwide and worldwide ranges.
Ethics on the core
Particular consideration was given to the moral tasks of scientists, drawing on the Hague Ethical Guidelines for the chemical sciences and the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for bioscience practitioners.
Developed with OPCW help, the Hague Ethical Guidelines promote accountable conduct that retains chemistry peaceable and helps stop the re-emergence of chemical weapons; the Tianjin Guidelines set out ten ideas to strengthen biosecurity governance on the nationwide and institutional ranges. For contributors returning to analysis, academia and business, such frameworks flip multilateral commitments into on a regular basis skilled instruments — as a result of long-term prevention relies upon as a lot on a tradition of accountability as on authorized guidelines.
Alastair Hay, Professor Emeritus at the University of Leeds, who led periods on the historical past of the CWC, ethics and a tabletop train on alleged chemical weapons use, mirrored: “The CWC represents one of the most successful disarmament agreements in history precisely because it brought the scientific community into the conversation from the outset. That conversation has never been more important than it is today.”
James Revill, Head of the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and Space Security Programmes on the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), who led periods on the BWC, underscored the urgency: “As science advances and converges across disciplines against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tension, actively engaging the scientific community is essential. Strengthening scientists’connection to the BWC will help future-proof this vital agreement.”
Alexis Edelstein, Director of Argentina’s Biological Containment Operations Unit, a participant within the workshop mentioned: “What struck me most was the workshop’s practical approach to provide providing concrete tools for learning how to transform our technical knowledge into clear and persuasive recommendations for public policy formulation […] Often, those of us who work on highly complex technical infrastructures are disconnected from the forums where global regulations are defined.”
As rising applied sciences proceed to rework each chemistry and biology, strengthening the connection between scientific experience and worldwide policymaking will grow to be more and more vital. By bringing scientists into conversations historically led by diplomats and policymakers, the OPCW and UNODA are serving to be sure that advances in science proceed to serve peace, safety and sustainable growth. This first joint workshop units a mannequin for future capacity-building — one which displays the more and more intertwined nature of chemical and organic dangers, and the shared frameworks constructed to govern them.
“The knowledge and skills acquired during the workshop will significantly contribute to my professional development as an academic and researcher. As a faculty member of a military-regulated university, I intend to incorporate the principles of responsible science, ethics, and science diplomacy into both my teaching and research activities, engaging civil and military officer students alike,” mentioned Tamanna Ishrat Farhana, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry on the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Bangladesh who participated within the workshop.
“The discussions on emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and their implications for chemical and biological security, have strengthened my understanding of the evolving non-proliferation landscape,” she added.
Background
Since 2016, the Workshop on Policy and Diplomacy for Scientists has been an vital capability constructing initiative delivered by the OPCW Technical Secretariat, supporting younger scientists in understanding the coverage and diplomatic dimensions of their work. Since its launch, the workshop has served as a useful platform for scientists to interact with policymakers and to promote the accountable and sustainable use of science.
As the implementing physique for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the worldwide endeavour to completely get rid of chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into pressure in 1997, it’s the most profitable disarmament treaty eliminating a whole class of weapons of mass destruction.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that every one chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 — totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical brokers — have been irreversibly destroyed beneath the OPCW’s strict verification regime.
For its in depth efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW acquired the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.