By Lucy Shedden
INTERPOL’s Lucy Shedden discusses two flagship initiatives in their CHEMEX program: the Chemical Risk Identification and Mitigation Project, and the Global Congress on Chemical Security.
For years, INTERPOL’s Chemical and Explosives Terrorism Prevention Unit (CMX) has been at the forefront of the organization’s efforts to prevent and combat chemical and explosive terrorism, fostering international cooperation to empower the global law enforcement community. However, the alarming rise of chemical and explosive material diversion, exploited through vulnerabilities across the supply chain, and combined with the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and technologies used to manufacture chemical weapons and explosive devices, has exposed the limitations of tackling these threats in a vacuum. A unified, multi-stakeholder approach is imperative to effectively counter these escalating threats and stay ahead of the curve.
The most effective chemical security practices involve a wide range of partners from industry, policymakers, regulators, law enforcement, military, customs officials, civil society, and academia. Facilitating multi-sector dialogue is crucial to understanding emerging threats and improving our collective response. Enhanced public-private partnerships are key to countering crimes involving chemical or explosive materials, and they have never been more vital to global security. We must converge our collective expertise to devise and deploy cutting-edge solutions that can effectively detect, deter, and disrupt the acquisition and criminal exploitation of these hazardous materials.
Under INTERPOL’s CHEMEX program, the CMX unit is driving forward a holistic approach to chemical security, providing sustainable solutions for member countries through two flagship initiatives: the Chemical Risk Identification and Mitigation Project, and the Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats. This comprehensive strategy tackles chemical threats at a national, regional, and global level.
Stopping Dangerous Chemicals from Getting into the Wrong Hands
INTERPOL’s Chemical Risk Identification and Mitigation Project (CRIMP) tackles the development of national capabilities to identify and reduce risks posed by the theft and diversion of weaponizable chemicals and their precursors. CRIMP aims to enhance capabilities by developing a tailored, prioritized list of chemicals of concern based on the local non-state actor threat.
Through a multiphase approach, CRIMP delivers activities aimed at enhancing infrastructure protection to identify, mitigate, and reduce the risks associated with hazardous chemicals by enhancing existing processes, or developing realistic and sustainable countermeasures.
This initiative is designed to increase the capacity of national agencies involved in law enforcement, emergency response, the chemical industry, associated trade associations, academia, and relevant government departments to identify chemicals at risk of diversion and misuse by criminals and terrorist groups. Understanding this threat allows for the development and creation of sustainable, focused, chemical countermeasures led by law enforcement agencies and supported by partners in the private sector and academia.
A lack of preparedness can greatly elevate security risks and consequences and further impact timely response to incidents that involve chemical materials. Furthermore, the lack of inter-agency coordination and communication or procedures can significantly impact a country’s effectiveness to mitigate chemical security incidents.
Regionally, these challenges are exacerbated. When multiple countries, agencies, and authorities are involved in a cross-border incident, coordinating efforts and maintaining a seamless flow of information among stakeholders adds a layer of increased complexity. To address this, CRIMP’s phased approach emphasizes the benefit of neighboring countries working together to identify collective solutions to shared challenges and regional threats, promoting cooperation and collaboration to ensure a unified response.
CRIMP has proven its value both nationally and regionally, serving as a vital link and tool for countries to collaborate, share knowledge, and support chemical security developments, while also strengthening law enforcement-led countermeasures to combat chemical threats. Its lasting impact lies in fostering a culture of trust and information sharing among national and regional agencies, enabling them to maintain open communication and coordination beyond INTERPOL-organized events, and ensuring a sustained exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Building on its success in Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia, INTERPOL is currently working with member countries on CRIMP Southeast Asia. The first phase is complete in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The second phase will unite countries regionally to assess chemical security threats and identify collaboration opportunities. Success hinges on fostering collaboration and multi-sectoral guidance to inform future curricula development. To support this, INTERPOL has established the CRIMP Task Force, a platform that brings together stakeholders from diverse sectors and expertise to enhance chemical security and threat reduction efforts across participating countries. The Task Force will provide strategic guidance, expertise, and support for CRIMP’s implementation and sustainability in Southeast Asia, playing a vital role in ensuring the project’s long-term success and contributing to enhanced chemical security and threat reduction in the region.

Raising the Alarm: Chemical Security Awareness Products for a Whole-of-Society Approach
Experience has shown that, in addition to delivering successful interventions through project activities in member countries, chemical security awareness-raising products are crucial for sustaining long-term impact and preventing the misuse and diversion of high-risk chemicals. A whole-of-society approach to chemical security requires a concerted effort to raise awareness and educate stakeholders. To this end, the CHEMEX program has prioritized the development of awareness-raising videos. These products are essential for ensuring the sustainability of CRIMP efforts and, more broadly, for advancing global chemical security.
Released in 2022, INTERPOL’s awareness-raising video, “The Watchmaker“, exposes potential vulnerabilities throughout the chemical supply chain, underscoring the need for multi-agency collaboration to share intelligence and mitigate these weaknesses. The video’s impact has been significant, driving organizational change among key stakeholders and yielding tangible results.
“The Watchmaker” is a pivotal component of a trilogy of awareness-raising videos produced by CMX, alongside “LITMUS” and “Terror Boy“. These videos form the foundation of a sustainable outreach strategy, designed to amplify the reach and effectiveness of CHEMEX programming efforts.
To ensure long-term impact, the videos have been transformed into interactive table-top exercises and integrated into the CRIMP curriculum. This comprehensive training package deconstructs the critical messages from the dramatized videos, empowering participants to develop more effective prevention and response strategies.
Chemical Security is a Global Responsibility
Launched in 2018, the Global Congress (GC) was established in response to a call by the Chemical Security Working Group of the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction to foster an international community of chemical security experts. Now in its sixth year, the GC has become a successful international network of more than 1,600 experts who work together to address the threat of chemical and explosives terrorism.
The network continues to grow and expand, ensuring holistic and multi-sector dialogue as a collective response to the chemical and explosive threat worldwide. The GC effectively brings together subject matter experts from all areas of the chemical security supply chain on one platform to build relationships, exchange expertise, share important information on emerging threats and innovative best practices, and ultimately enhance capabilities. The diverse range of stakeholders facilitates a comprehensive approach to closing gaps that are being exploited by criminals and terrorists to acquire chemical and explosive precursors.
The GC is jointly led by INTERPOL, Global Affairs Canada, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Building on INTERPOL’s unparalleled strengths as the only organization with the mandate, capacity, and capability to tap into a global policing network, the GC occupies a unique position of strategic advantage. By leveraging INTERPOL’s vast reach, which spans 196 member countries, the GC can connect and share critical police information on a global scale, making its network and influence truly unmatched.
As the chemical security threat landscape continues to shift and evolve, it is crucial that key stakeholders in the field remain connected and informed. The Global Congress Plenary Meetings (GCP) provide a vital platform for regular information exchange, ensuring that experts and practitioners stay abreast of the latest developments and contribute to the global dialogue. The GCP Meeting is an integral convening point for the network, enabling members to discuss the latest trends and threats, as well as effective best practices being employed worldwide.
The Global Congress network cultivates a trusted environment that facilitates the sharing of actionable information and identifies opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange. Its diverse membership brings together a unique blend of strengths, capacities, and capabilities, enabling the network to tackle threats across the supply chain with a cohesive, multi-sectoral approach that is essential for effective threat mitigation.
Members of the Global Congress network can identify challenges or gaps and tap into the network’s collective expertise by requesting technical assistance and support from relevant specialists. This collaborative process gives rise to innovative systems that foster peer-to-peer learning, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, ultimately enhancing the network’s overall resilience and effectiveness.

Our Blueprint for Success and Sustainability
The Global Congress has effectively etched its place in the global chemical security landscape. To further build on this success, the Global Congress launched the 2024-26 Global Congress Strategic Framework in April 2024. As the Global Congress strives to become the world’s leading platform of chemical security experts, the co-implementing partners will continue to harness the strengths of our membership to effectively address global needs and counter threats. The Strategic Framework is comprised of three strategic goals and eleven corresponding objectives, and serves as our blueprint for achieving our goals, optimizing resources, and ensuring operational sustainability.
While the goals and objectives of our Strategic Framework are not new as they have been at the heart of our mission since the GC’s inception, this framework serves as a guide to focus our efforts and channel our resources towards achieving tangible, impactful results that drive meaningful change for chemical security. The Strategic Framework provides a clear roadmap for our collective efforts, ensuring that we are working together towards a common goal: a safer, more secure world.

Chemical Security for All: Global Congress Webinar Promotes Diversity, Inclusion, and Empowerment
In a significant step forward for gender inclusivity, the Global Congress proudly hosted the groundbreaking webinar, “Women Leaders in Action – Convergence of Impactful Leadership and Chemical Security”, on April 29, 2024. This milestone event directly supported Strategic Objective 1, reaffirming our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the chemical security sector.
The webinar’s remarkable success was evident in its unprecedented reach, with a record-breaking 1003 registrations and 511 attendees from 105 countries participating in the event, shining a spotlight on the unique challenges women face in the chemical security field. A distinguished panel of women leaders from the Global Congress Network shared their inspiring stories, overcoming obstacles, and transforming them into opportunities. The discussion aimed to raise awareness, inspire, and empower, highlighting the benefits of a diverse and inclusive chemical security workforce. Participants gained valuable insights into implementing practical actions to foster a culture of inclusivity within their organizations.
Embracing diversity remains a steadfast priority of all initiatives under INTERPOL’s CHEMEX program. By fostering an inclusive environment, we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, ensuring that our efforts to enhance chemical security are truly representative of the global community we serve.
INTERPOL’s CHEMEX program innovates in chemical security through initiatives such as CRIMP and the Global Congress, prioritizing partnerships to counter security challenges and working to address gaps and chokepoints across the supply chain, from the strategy level to the frontline.
Lucy Shedden is a Project Manager at the Chemical and Explosives Terrorism Prevention Unit, INTERPOL. To join the Global Congress Network or for any other queries related to the initiative, please contact [email protected].