About the 2018 Symposium
The 4th International Symposium on Development of CBRN Protection Capabilities will take place in Berlin from 3 to 5 September 2018.
As in previous years, Germany will once again provide a professional platform for encounters and exchange of the international CBRN pro-tection community. International experts will inform representatives from the fields of politics, administration, industry, academia, civilian and military organisations about latest developments in security policy and provide an up-to-date risk assessment with a view to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks and the challenges they rep-resent for military and civilian systems when it comes to hazard prevention. The list of international participants clearly indicates that protecting against the effects and impact of CBRN dangers is a top priority around the globe. As a result, CBRN continues to be in the focus when it comes to improving preventive security measures.
The repeated use of chemical weapons in conflict areas, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the Fukushima disaster and, last but not least, the international community's growing concern of the threat of nuclear terrorism in the light of the advancing proliferation of weap-ons of mass destruction are proof that CBRN protection within nation-al and international security architectures remains relevant. In addi-tion to the analysis of latest security developments, a special focus will be on presenting current conceptual foundations to meet the require-ments of modern CBRN protection. Representatives from competent ministries and government authorities will explain the guidelines for the further development of CBRN protection.
Specific assessments by industry and academia will complement the picture. The symposium will particularly focus on three relevant areas for development of CBRN protection:
National and international cooperation which need to be improved with the ultimate objective to establish a comprehensive network of CBRN protection capabilities. Taking into account recent develop-ments within NATO and the EU, it is necessary to discuss the issue of prevention (averting hazard or damage situations in the first place) as the overriding principle when fulfilling CBRN protection tasks. At the same time, the efforts to create a resilient system, recognising its vulnerabilities, need to be discussed as well. Resilience is also key to increase survivability in general while preparing for damaging events that could not be averted. The citizens' preparedness and ability to contribute to their own protection (ability to help oneself), but also to endure possible damage without giving up the principles of the rule of law must be a central elements of any resilience strategy. This is par-ticularly true in the case of stressful CBRN scenarios with a national dimension.
The symposium's aim is to inform participants about the importance attached to CBRN protection internationally and to discuss the way ahead. The plenary will debate political and strategic issues; technical and operational questions are discussed in expert panels. This year, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is in charge of the content of this high-level international conference, supported by the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assis-tance, the Bundeswehr CBRN Defence Command and the Association of the German Army. The event is organised by the Research Association of the German Association of Defence Technology.
The Berlin CBRN Symposium:
- Is one of the world's leading CBRN conferences.
- Is a political, strategic and conceptual orientated symposium.
- Addresses up to 800 attendees from 60+ nations.
- Offers a high-ranking main programme with national and international speakers.
- Encompasses various panel sessions with a wide range of specialised topics as well as several poster sessions.
- Includes a large exhibition with 50+ exhibitors inside the conference centre.
- Is supported by two federal ministries and subordinate authorities.
- Is accompanied by a large outdoor exhibition and demonstrations on the day prior to the confer-ence.
- Provides key benefits to participants through knowledge transfer, networking and new in-sights.