Regional meeting of the ASEAN CBR Network raises awareness about CBRN disinformation and techniques to combat the malicious use of social media by non-state actors

Social media represents a powerful tool with the capacity to bring communities closer and to share critical information during times of crisis. During COVID-19, social media connected each of us during periods of lockdown and social isolation while enabling urgent public health messages to be communicated effectively. At the same time, social media offered an equally powerful tool for terrorist, violent extremist and organised criminal groups to spread false information that sought to deliberately mislead public opinion, counter public health efforts and undermine trust in governments.

Amplified by recent conflicts in the Ukraine and the Middle East, crises that continue to provide fertile ground for the deliberate spread of false information, the importance of raising awareness about disinformation and sharing information on effective tools to combat it have never been more important.

Recognising the significance of this growing challenge, on 14-15 December 2023, the 5th Annual Meeting of the Network of ASEAN Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Defence Experts (ASEAN CBR Network), organised by DSO National Laboratories in partnership with the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative EU CBRN CoE and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), showcased regional and international experience on the subject of combating disinformation.

Following a keynote address by the European Union, the meeting featured a UNICRI-designed table-top exercise (TTX) that introduced participants to disinformation in a dynamic role-playing environment. Entitled “Krypton vs. Iron”, the TTX covered two scenarios that mimicked CBRN events, challenging participants to understand both the tactics employed by non-state actors (“Krypton”) to spread disinformation and the techniques governments and international organisations (“Iron”) can use to stop disinformation from going viral. Utilising social media, the exercise enabled participants to experience first-hand how conspiracy theories and fake news can rapidly spread and how governments and international organisations can effectively respond to stop the virus of disinformation. 

EU CBRN CoE and ASEAN committed to CBRN risk mitigation

The European Union and ASEAN are committed to working together to prevent, detect and respond to CBRN emergencies, whether deliberate, accidental or natural in origin. The the 5^th Annual Meeting of the ASEAN CBR Network, an event that seeks to advance regional counter-terrorism preparedness and cooperation, represents a further example of this shared commitment.

As underlined in the the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the EU CBRN CoE has been cooperating with ASEAN Member States since 2010. Moreover, it will continue to support partners and regions in strengthening CBRN risk mitigation and all-hazards security governance, following a voluntary and demand-driven approach.