The new issue of 1540 Compass (Issue 5 | January 2026) is now available. The journal supports the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540, which aims to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors.
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), with support from the Governments of Italy and France, delivered two advanced training sessions on “Supply Chain Disruption” and “Proliferation Sanctions Implementation” from 14 to 18 July 2025 in Kyiv.
Hybrid Session – 26 June 2025, 09:00–10:00 CEST
Cybercrime and online harms are rapidly evolving across Africa, bringing with them significant challenges to justice and digital trust. UNICRI, in collaboration with ALT Advisory, invites you to take part in a hybrid roundtable discussion at IGF 2025 that explores these pressing issues.
UNICRI is dedicated to advancing justice, crime prevention, human rights protection and security by offering innovative post-graduate education and specialised training programmes tailored to meet evolving global challenges. Through on-campus, decentralised, and online courses, UNICRI equips professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate complex issues.
Our offerings are designed to empower young professionals, law enforcement officers, judges, justice personnel, and social workers, integrating theoretical learning with practical application to enhance the rule of law and human dignity.
In collaboration with leading universities, research institutions, and global experts, UNICRI delivers cutting-edge curricula and training materials tailored to regional and national contexts. Programmes such as the LL.M. in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity and the LL.M. in Transnational Crime and Justice provide participants with specialised expertise to address pressing issues. These initiatives not only enhance professional capabilities but also foster the next generation of leaders dedicated to peace, security, and sustainable development.
UNICRI’s capacity-building initiatives go beyond traditional education by addressing emerging global threats, including the misuse of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, environmental crime, cultural heritage protection, and the challenges posed by AI, misinformation and hate speech. By prioritising inclusive and integrative learning approaches, UNICRI prepares professionals and youth alike to contribute meaningfully to creating a safer, more just world. Whether through tailored in-country training or comprehensive LL.M. programmes and spesiclaized courses, UNICRI’s commitment to excellence in education and capacity-building ensures a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
Chemical and biological (CB) weapons have the potential to cause great harm and represent an appealing prospect for non-state actors due to their potential to generate widespread fear. From the letters containing fatal anthrax spores sent through US postal system in 2001 to, more recently, the repeated deployment of chemical weapons against civilian populations by Da’esh between 2014 and 2016 in Iraq and Syria, these events are designed to cause major suffering and disruption.
Non-state, terrorist organizations and individuals continue to strive to produce or obtain CB weapons capable of generating mass casualties. These weapons are particularly attractive to such groups or ideologically inspired individuals around the world for multiple reasons, including the low cost and effort-to-impact ratio of a CB weapons attack, the potential to generate widespread fear among populations and the likelihood that such an attack would receive significant media coverage.
Meanwhile, the risk that individuals or terrorist organizations might use such weapons will remain high so long as knowledge about the weapons and their precursors remains easily available on the Internet and trade controls over the precursors remain weak. Equally, many biological pathogens occur naturally in the environment, making it even more important to ensure that countries are aware of the threat and have robust mitigation measures in place.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 16 for the promotion of peace, justice and strong institutions, UNICRI is taking active measures to address the threat of chemical and biological terrorism.
For example, UNICRI implements national and regional training programmes that focus on intelligence-led operations and investigations to prevent CB weapons attacks by non-state actors. Equally, due to the transnational dimension of this phenomenon, UNICRI coordinates the creation of systems for the cooperation and timely exchange of information between relevant agencies (such as intelligence, law enforcement and regulatory authorities) and relevant international organizations.
UNICRI also works in collaboration with international organizations such as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (the 1540 Committee) to promote adherence to and implementation of the international legal regime against the acquisition and use of chemical and biological weapons by non-state actors. These include the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention.
ATLAS – To address the growing chemical weapon risk in North Africa, UNICRI has launched ATLAS, a pilot project aimed at preventing violent non-state actors from planning and conducting chemical weapon attacks, with a focus on intelligence-led operations and investigations. The main objective of the project, which is implemented in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and with the financial support of the United States Department of State, is to develop and implement training curricula for law enforcement, state security, chemical regulatory authorities, industry and academia, as well as to foster interagency and regional cooperation.
Building a safer South-East Asia by preventing and responding to the use of chemical weapons by terrorists and other non-state actors in Indonesia – Implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UNICRI in coordination with Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme and with support of the OPCW, the project’s objective is to significantly enhance the capability of Indonesian authorities to prevent, detect, and respond to the acquisition, development, and threat or use of chemical weapons by non-state actors, in particular for terrorist purposes.
For general information concerning the implementation of these projects, please consult the linked pages below.
Women in Chemistry | 
Prosecutor’s |
Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) disinformation is intentionally misleading and deceptive information about CBRN threats, that can potentially cause serious political, financial, and physical harm to governments, international organizations, the scientific community, academia, industry, and the population at large.CBRN disinformation has become a significant problem in the last few years: false information and conspiracy theories on CBRN risks, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, infectious disease outbreaks or theft of radioactive material, can cause confusion and mistrust in governments and even jeopardize the public health response in case of emergency.
This threat has been corroborated by UNICRI who, in the last three years, has monitored and detected an exponential increase of malicious use of social media to undermine trust in governments and, at the same time, to reinforce extremist narratives, recruitment strategies and control of territory by criminal groups. Many individuals and organizations have been targeted by CBRN disinformation, with viral online and sometimes physical attacks being conducted against many stakeholders operating in the area of CBRN risk mitigation.
In line with its mandate to devote special attention to emerging threats and new forms of criminal phenomena, UNICRI has been monitoring the malicious use of social media and analysing existing technology options to detect and debunk false information since 2020 with the publication of the report Stop the virus of disinformation. The Institute is now actively engaged in disseminating this knowledge in a variety of ways, by, for example, producing supplementary reports, implementing capacity building activities for CBRN stakeholders and developing training materials.
In response to the growing threat posed by CBRN disinformation, UNICRI has been developing a chain of change over the last four years to combat CBRN disinformation in its established network of CBRN partner countries. This includes the implementation of four national training sessions, two regional table-top exercises and two reports. UNICRI has also launched a Centre on Disinformation to coordinate its efforts to counter CBRN disinformation.
For more information on the topic, please consult the publications below.
Handbook to combat | 
Stop the virus of disinformation: |
Related news
https://unicri.org/News/Kenya-delegation-new-areas-cbrn-risk-mitigation-2022
https://unicri.org/technology_solutions
https://unicri.org/News/Course-malicius-use-social-media-terrorists-organizedcrime
https://unicri.org/news/International-network-biotechnology-disinformation
