Col Vratislav Osvald

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the CBRN Workshop as a part of World CBRN & Medical Congress (CEBIRAM) which is designed to discuss wide range of aspects related to prevention from, protection against and response to CBRN threats. We would like to follow up on the successful CBRN Workshop in 2016 and continue to discuss in more details topics that were touched during the workshop.

As of today, the current security situation has significantly changed. We are facing the situation where wide range of events involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in several countries in the Middle East and Africa; and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials are used worldwide against civil targets. Therefore, threats and risks emanating from WMD and CBRN materials should not be underestimated.

Effective responses to CBRN events require both offensive and defensive measures to prevent and, if prevention fails, to protect and mitigate effects caused by consequences of such an event. Thus, the access to timely, accurate and relevant information is a critical component of any CBRN response, heavily supported by the diverse, multipurpose capabilities necessary to provide the operational flexibility for a wide range of future CBRN response efforts.

In addition, it is vital to make the most out of civil-military cooperation to effectively counter CBRN related risks and thus get prepared, equipped and trained to respond to a CBRN multi-hazard emergency situation.

Therefore, on behalf of the CBRN Workshop Programme Committee, it is my pleasure to encourage CEBIRAM participants to attend the CBRN Workshop which, I am sure, will be recognized as interesting and beneficial for all of you.

Looking forward to see you in Prague.

Col Vratislav OSVALD
Director NATO JCBRN Defence COE
CEBIRAM/CBRN Workshop Chairman