OUR PRIORITIES

Working Group on the Use of UAS for Bio/Chem Dissemination

Recent technological advancements are making UASs easily accessible, inexpensive to buy, simple to operate, and capable of deploying increasingly large payloads for a multitude of purposes.  UASs can function as weapon delivery platforms and for the dissemination of weaponized biological or chemical materials.  Although limited tactical countermeasures exist to address the threat, a more strategic approach is needed to prevent terrorist acquisition of UASs.  The Thin Blue Line is convening Working Groups to consider the developing threat posed by the proliferation of UAS technology in regions where terrorist activity is prevalent, and to work collaboratively to define the scope of the problem, including the volume of sales, import and export, and the threat profile.

Less-lethal weapons are often used by law enforcement as an alternative to firearms to minimize harm to suspects and the public. 

Although the risk is reduced, use of less-lethal weapons may kill or inflict serious injury when they are not used in accordance with specifications, or or are used contrary to general principles on the use of force and fundamental human rights.

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Resolution 25/38 of the UN Human Rights Council encouraged states to make ‘non-lethal weapons available to their officials exercising law enforcement duties, while pursuing international efforts to regulate and establish protocols for the training and use of non-lethal weapons’. In 2018, the UN Human Rights Council further encouraged the establishment of protocols ‘for the training and use of non-lethal weapons, bearing in mind that even less-lethal weapons can result in risk to life’.

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The Thin Blue Line is participating in the international expert group convened by the Geneva Academy and the Institute of International and Comparative Law in Africa (University of Pretoria), the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, representatives from law enforcement agencies around the world, academic experts and members of civil society  to develop a set of guidelines on the lawful and responsible design, production, procurement, testing, training, transfer and use of LLW's. This document will builds on the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

The world is witnessing a resurgence in the indiscriminate use of dangerous chemicals as weapons.  These attacks are being conducted by both state and non-state actors, and they kill, maim, and injure indiscriminately and terrorize local communities. 

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Although often first responders into these dangerous and confronting scenes, law enforcement agencies are often poorly-trained and ill-equipped for the demands of their role.

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The Thin Blue Line is committed to strengthening the capacity of  law enforcement agencies and their partners to prevent, prepare for and respond effectively to the use of dangerous chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.