We are pleased to publish a report on a Tabletop Exercise on UN Secretary General Mechanism investigations of alleged biological weapon use.

This report outlines the main conclusions and lessons identified during a tabletop exercise (TTX) run by VERTIC on 31 October – 1 November 2019. The TTX explored the possible challenges to an international investigation run under the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological weapons (UNSGM). The TTX focused on a scenario in which the alleged use of a biological weapon was being investigated.

The report includes a discussion of some practical challenges that a deployed UNSGM investigation team may face, and of possible strategies to mitigate and overcome them, as well broader recommendations to develop and maintain capacity within the UNSGM to conduct investigations of alleged use of biological weapons.

VERTIC’s exercise is part of a study on current UNSGM capabilities to respond to alleged use of biological weapons and on ways to support and build these capabilities in the future.

The full report can be found here.