The First UN-NATO project trains Jordan officials at Centre of Excellence in Europe

Vyskov, 27 May 2022 – Within the framework of the first joint project between the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and NATO's Defence Policy and Planning Division organized a training for Jordanian first responders at the NATO’s Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Centre of Excellence in the Czech Republic.

The UNCCT/NATO project on Enhancing Capabilities to Prepare for and Respond to a CBRN Terrorist Attack in Jordan, delivered this five-day training for 20 Jordanian officials using the NATO’s International CBRN Training Curriculum for First Responders. The training covered aspects such as operational implications between civil-military interaction, preparedness, detection, response, decontamination and security context. It also included two days of simulation response exercises to chemical and radiological incidents, conducted at the Fire Protection and Training Centre of the city of Brno, the Czech Republic.

With confirmed cases of biological and chemical terrorism in Iraq and Syria, committed by non-state actors including Da'esh/the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, CBRN terrorism threat is a reality in the Middle East region. 

The Jordanian first responders attending the training welcomed this theoretical and practical course that will contribute to prevent a potential CBRN attack or incident and enhance their interoperability in response to CBRN incidents.

Background

The four-year project on Enhancing Capabilities to Prepare for and Respond to a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorist Attack in Jordan is the first UN-NATO project and is implemented jointly by UNOCT/UNCCT and NATO’s Defence Policy and Planning Division. The project aims to enhance the national capabilities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the areas of preparedness and response to a terrorist attack involving CBRN weapons or materials.

More specifically, the project includes the:

  • identification of Jordan’s CBRN resilience, preparedness and response needs through a self-assessment;
  • organization of a Senior Leader Workshop on CBRN;
  • delivery of a CBRN training course for first responders; 
  • development of a National Crisis Plan;
  • organization of a field and virtual reality exercise;
  • identification of lessons learned and the issuance of the recommendations from the exercise.