Crimes involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials pose significant threats to humans, animals, the environment, and societal stability. Investigation, prosecution, and adjudication remain critical weak points in addressing these crimes.
The Republic of North Macedonia has taken a major step forward in reviewing and updating its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) National Action Plan (NAP), reaffirming its position as one of the most active participants among the 63 partner countries of the European Union (EU)’s CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative.
The world we live in today is increasingly complex and volatile, shaped by evolving threats and rapid technological advancement. Criminal actors respond rapidly to these changes, posing growing challenges to those tasked with investigating and prosecuting crime. Among the most difficult cases are those involving the deliberate use of hazardous chemical and biological (CB) agents to harm people, animals, the environment, or disrupt societal functions.
Effective responses to such threats require strong coordination across agencies and disciplines. The chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) field is characterised by technical procedures, scientific terminology, and specialised legal frameworks. Prosecutors and investigators need not only an understanding of these complexities, but also the appropriate tools and expertise to enable effective legal action.
UNICRI, in close collaboration with international partners and stakeholders, identified the need to advance guidance in this area. To this end, the Institute brought together regional and international CBRN experts, senior prosecutors, and legal practitioners to develop the first edition of the Prosecutors Guide to Chemical and Biological Crimes.
The Guide is designed to assist prosecutors, law enforcement, and relevant agencies in the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving the deliberate production, stockpiling, transfer, or use of chemical and biological agents. It offers non-binding, high-level guidance on key legal and procedural considerations and their implications for prosecution. It also lays the groundwork for follow-up initiatives, including practical training and capacity building.
We are grateful to the European Commission for supporting the development of this Guide under the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence Initiative (EU CBRN CoE). The initiative arose from two projects in Southeast and Eastern Europe aimed at enhancing the forensic capacities of partner countries.
At UNICRI, we are committed to addressing the needs and priorities of our Member States through sustainable programmes that integrate theoretical knowledge with practical tools, including tailored training, educational videos, and e-learning platforms.
We trust that this Guide will help strengthen the knowledge, institutional frameworks, and legal mechanisms necessary to support prosecutors and investigators in their pursuit of justice and accountability.
دليل المدعي العام (ARA) | 
A Prosecutor's Guide (EN) | 
Руководство для прокуроров по (RUS) |
Building on the Prosecutors Guide on Chemical and Biological Crimes and the Prosecutors Guide on Radiological and Nuclear Crimes, a significant step forward was taken in 2024 with the launch of the From CBRN Crime Scene to Courtroom initiative. Fully funded by the European Commission’s Foreign Policy Instruments and developed under the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative, this pilot programme is helping set new benchmarks in both forensic practices and judicial preparedness.
A key innovation is the programme’s emphasis on the admissibility of forensic evidence in court - an aspect often overlooked in traditional CBRN capacity-building efforts. Training addresses core legal and procedural issues such as expert witness preparation, evidentiary reporting, forensic expert credibility, and maintaining the chain of custody. These elements are essential to ensuring that investigative findings can withstand legal scrutiny.
The training is structured around five interlinked modules:
Table-Top Exercise – Introduces foundational CBRN concepts, promotes inter-agency coordination, and identifies key needs and priorities.
CBRN Criminalisation Workshop – Explores international legal frameworks for defining and prosecuting CBRN-related offences.
Building a Case for Prosecution – Provides tools to transform forensic results into effective legal arguments.
Mock Trial / Moot Court – Tests participants’ knowledge through realistic simulations using adapted national legislation.
Train-the-Trainer – Ensures sustainability by empowering national actors to deliver future training.
All modules have been successfully implemented in Moldova and Ukraine, confirming the programme’s feasibility and impact. As of early 2025, fourteen countries have requested to adopt the full package, officially titled Strengthening the CBRN Investigation, Prosecution, and Adjudication Capabilities.
From September 2025, the programme will shift to a regional delivery model, focusing on the Balkans and Gulf countries, to maximise outreach and relevance.
This initiative has been greatly enhanced by the participation of internationally recognised prosecutors, judges, law enforcement officers, and forensic experts, whose practical knowledge has been instrumental in translating complex scientific material into actionable legal strategies.
Due to climate change, environmental preservation and defense have become a priority in the UN strategy to reach the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development goals. The Agenda highlights that environmental degradation's negative impacts are one of the century's wicked challenges together with environmental depletion. At the Conference of Parties 28 of 2023, UNODC evidenced the need to address environmental crimes to endorse climate change mitigation. For an immediate global response to reach the SDGs, it encouraged a strong justice commitment and cooperation among Member States to fight environmental crimes.
Ahead of time, since 2016, according to the joint strategic report of the EUROPOL and the UNEP “The Rise of Environmental Crime” (2016), violation of the environment is nowadays the fourth largest criminal offense worldwide. This phenomenon has notably increased, and it is expected to expand all over the world in the next years due to the unfolding transnational criminals. Member States and international organizations are urgently working to avoid this crime commitment and to educate people on the consequences of exposure. Indeed, as a transnational crime activity, people and groups of people are benefiting from damaging the ecosystems and their inhabitants.
In the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report, one of the key messages highlights the strict interconnection between wildlife crimes and organized crime. As this type of crime is one of the activities taken in place by large, organized transnational crime groups, it requires a complex and broader strategy that should intervene on these groups.
With these considerations in mind, UNICRI and the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) are organizing the ninth edition of the Winter School on Environmental Crimes, which will be delivered online, from 17 to 21 November 2025.
The course will provide participants with a fundamental understanding of what environmental crimes are and how law enforcement bodies and judicial systems are responding. The Winter School contributes to advancing and promoting justice by raising awareness on this topic. For the participants, identifying the different forms, offenders, and acts of eco-crimes is the first step in the advocacy path. People's vulnerability is less threatened when individuals advocate for an effective change in public policies, strategies, and practices.
As it cannot exist sustainable development within a society threatened and not healthy and inclusive, the Winter School is delivered in a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach. The existing international legal framework will be examined to improve participants’ ability to comprehensively address the issue. More specifically, the curriculum of the course may focus on:
Existing international legal frameworks to prevent crimes against the environment.
Environment and illegal mining.
The concept of environmental protection and its evolution.
Environmental crimes and terrorism.
Involvement of organized criminal groups in environmental crimes.
Waste trafficking and its impact on human health and security.
Wildlife crimes.
Environmental conflicts and justice.
Individual, corporate and State accountability for environmental crimes.
The Winter School offers professional, legal, social, scientific, and academic perspectives through live webinars, group discussions, dynamic case studies, individual readings, and practical exercises. The faculty is composed of leading scholars and academics from leading universities, representatives of the United Nations system, international human rights bodies, and civil society.
Through a dedicated online platform, participants will have the opportunity to interact with internationally recognized experts and peers from all over the world, so to build lasting professional relationships. This experience fosters intercultural dialogue and promotes a deeper understanding of some of the world’s most complex and debated issues.
Dates | 17-21 November 2025 |
| Venue | Online |
| Application deadline | 2 November 2025 (rolling basis) |
| Confirmation of acceptance | Within 1 week following receipt of the application |
| Payment deadline | Within 1 week following confirmation of acceptance |
The course is intended for university and post-graduate students, Ph.D. candidates, media and other professionals, including United Nations (UN) personnel, as well as anyone interested in gaining a deep knowledge of current environmental crimes issues.
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
Be enrolled in, or have completed, a first university degree program (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent).
Possess a strong command of the English language.
This course is delivered online. It combines live webinars in our virtual classroom, led by subject matter experts, with self-paced activities and interactive group discussions.
The live webinars are conducted on a dedicated online platform. Participants need a computer (recommended) or a mobile device with audio and video capabilities, a headset with a microphone to connect to the audio through the computer or mobile device, as well as a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing audio through the computer. No special software is required. Upon acceptance to the course, participants will be provided with the information to access the platform.
The live webinars are from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Rome time (8:00 am to 12:00 pm New York time), from Monday to Friday.
The selection is carried out on a rolling basis.
Registration fees amounts to 800 Euro.
Registration fees includes:
In the event of a participant cancellation for any reason, including visa denial, registration fees will not be refunded.
Upon attendance of all live webinars and completion of the course activities and assignments, participants will receive a certificate of participation jointly released by the United Nations and SIOI. The Organizers retain the discretion to consider severe reasons for absences when issuing the certificate.
Email: unicri.courses@un.org – formint@sioi.org (please indicate “Environmental Crimes” in the subject of the email)
UNICRI: +39 06 6789 907 | SIOI: +39 06 6920781
At the request of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) conducted a one-day, in-person training in Bern, Switzerland, on the 9th of May 2025. The session aimed to strengthen national capacities to counter disinformation related to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks.
On 12 June 2025, UNICRI, together with the Permanent Missions of Germany and Mauritania, convened an expert discussion at the German House in New York on the increasingly interconnected risks of climate change and violent extremism. The discussion was part of the ongoing “Climate Talks” series, organised by German Mission.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) during its 2025 Management Segment, adopted resolution E/2025/L.7, under agenda item 21 on United Nations Research and Training Institutes.
