Congress on chemical security in Marrakech calls for enhanced international cooperation

A Global Congress on Chemical Security & Emerging Threats, held this week in Marrakech, called for enhanced international cooperation in these fields.

This conclave was organized by the INTERPOL, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the FBI, in partnership with Morocco’s Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) and the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.

At the closing ceremony of this three-day event, participants also called for the exchange of expertise and information to address challenges related to chemical security and emerging threats, as well as the promotion of specialized training in this area.

INTERPOL Counter-Terrorism Director Greg Hinds said the experts proposed recommendations to enhance chemical security throughout the chemical supply chain, empower retail outlets to report suspicious purchases and activities, develop INTERPOL’s Global Knowledge Platform as a collaborative tool for interactive discussions and access to resources, and strengthen the network through greater diversity of expertise across regions and sectors.

Delegates brought new methods, technologies and strategies to help them work more securely and effectively and in a collaborative approach, Greg Hinds noted, adding that participants are all committed to “consolidating the outcomes of this meeting and sharing them with network members to jointly address the threats that continue to evolve.”

Judicial Police Central Director, Interpol Director in Morocco Mohamed Dkhissi, on his part said the meeting adopted a series of recommendations to strengthen and develop the capacity of law enforcement agencies in detecting and preventing the acquisition and use of chemical materials and explosives for criminal purposes.

Dkhissi noted that the international experts have stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation in the field of chemical security and emerging threats related mainly to terrorism and organized crime, to promote the exchange of expertise and information between various law enforcement agencies, and to support specialized training in this field.