The Non-Conventional Threat (NCT) Asia Pacific event is coming to Japan for its third edition! Taking place in the Marriott Hotel in Tokyo from the 28th to the 30th of May, the event is hosted by the CBRNe Society in partnership with the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), the Japanese Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Institute for Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radiological Defense.
The Japan and international communities of CBRNe professionals and responders will come together to share experiences and knowledge during a two-day conference and industry exhibition. One of the core themes of the conference and workshops will be CBRNe emergency preparedness and response at for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
These topics will also come forward during the Opening Plenary which will take place on the 29th of May from 8.30am to 10am. The Opening Plenary, and the conference sessions will be chaired Dr. Makoto Akashi, Executive Office, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Sciences and Technology and will welcome the following panel of speakers:
- Yoshitake Yokokura, President, World Medical Association
- Gen. Shunji Yoshino, Commander, JGSDF Chemical School
- Gen. Yoo Bong Heo, Commander, Korean (ROK) CBRN Defense Command
- Ronald Hann, Director of Chemical/Biological Technologies Department, DTRA, USA
Other speakers include representatives from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the Tokyo Fire Department, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces in Qatar and many more.
The full program with all speakers and their biographies and their (short) bios can be found on www.nctasiapacific.com.
For press accreditation, and planning of interviews with speakers and VIPs, please contact Mr. Martijn van Ballekom at +31 6 25 11 48 05 or by email at martijn@ib-consultancy.com.
For more information on past NCT events, please check the videos of past editions which can be found on www.vimeo.com/ibconsultancy and pictures on www.facebook.com/ibconsultancy.
What is CBRNe?
The chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threat is not new. The acronym once primarily concerned the military but has now become a commonly used term within the civilian sphere. The addition of ‘e’ for explosive is the latest extension. It reflects a trend in counterterrorism, where professionals dealing with CBRN and explosives are increasingly joining forces and operating under a common umbrella.
Today, the kind of threats posed by terrorists and other groups with malicious intentions, range from radiological dispersal devices (RDDs) to agriculturally derived biological agents such as B. anthracis. In fact, the concern over a CBRN incident is not only limited to threats from warfare or terrorists. The sources of CBRN can also be the intentional and unintentional release of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and civilian radiological sources. These threats not only pose immediate danger to life and health, but also have the capacity to destabilize the entire society by damaging the critical infrastructure that we heavily depend on.
Although CBRNe incidents are considered a low incidence threat, a successful attack would have a catastrophic impact, creating massive disruption, posing a clear challenge to large-scale public health and safety with the potential for a wide-spread effect upon global economic and political stability. The widespread use of chemical agents in the Syrian conflict and the Fukushima nuclear disaster serve as cases in point. Attacks can also be more targeted, as for example in Kuala Lumpur with the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, and more recently in Salisbury, UK, where a former Russian military intelligence officer and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent. These are only three of the many locations where chemical weapons have been used in the past year.
Due to the complex nature of CBRNe prevention and response, a multi-layered approach, involving international and national organizations, public – private partnerships, and coordinated actions at all levels is vital.
CBRNe Society
NCT events are organized by the CBRNe Society Foundation, an international non-profit organization. The purpose of the foundation is to develop and share knowledge, promote innovation and build bridges between relevant governmental, military, industrial and scientific stakeholders in the global CBRNe community.