Results of countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in 2024 and orientations and tasks for 2025

In 2024, the global and regional security and political situation evolved rapidly, in complex and unpredictable ways; the armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, between Israel and Hamas, and between Israel and Hezbollah and Iran, as well as tensions on the Korean Peninsula, continued to have negative impacts on all areas worldwide. The threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) continued to grow globally.

This comes at a time when nuclear arms control and non-proliferation regimes are increasingly weakened, nuclear-weapon states are developing new weapon systems and expanding their nuclear stockpiles, and conflicts involving nuclear-weapon states continue. With regard to chemical weapons, despite considerable success in limiting their proliferation and destroying stockpiles in recent decades, the growing number of incidents involving chemical weapons remains a matter of concern. Moreover, recent incidents and conflicts have been accompanied by disinformation campaigns aimed at evading responsibility or justifying aggression and the use of chemical weapons, which risk eroding the norm against chemical weapons proliferation. Non-traditional security issues in general, and countering the proliferation of WMD in particular, receive attention from the leadership of the Party, the State and the Army. The Corps continued to renew its functions, tasks, organisation and staffing to meet the requirements of its mission in the new period.

Standing Office 81 fulfilled its targets and tasks in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in 2024, as follows:

Advisory work and development of legal documents on countering the proliferation of WMD

In effectively implementing Decision No. 432/QD-TTg of 27 March 2020 of the Prime Minister on the implementation of Decree No. 81/2019/ND-CP, and in particular the task of proposing the development of a Law on Countering the Proliferation of WMD, the Chemical Corps – Standing Office 81 has, in recent times, taken the lead, in coordination with agencies and units inside and outside the Army, in researching and drafting the Law on Countering the Proliferation of WMD, while finalising the dossier for submission to the leadership of the Ministry of National Defence and to the Government, with a view to its inclusion in the National Assembly's law-making programme for the 2026-2030 term. It advised and proposed that the leadership of the Ministry of National Defence issue an official letter requesting ministries, sectors and localities to assess the results of implementing Decree No. 81/2019/ND-CP, as a basis for preparing the dossier proposing the development of the Law on Countering the Proliferation of WMD. It took part in drafting the Decree on sanctions in the fields of national defence and cryptography to replace Decree 120/ND-CP of 9 October 2013 on administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of national defence and cryptography, adding provisions on sanctions for violations related to proliferation financing;

It continued to advise on the implementation of the Action Plan following the Mutual Evaluation by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) under Decision No. 941/QD-TTg of 5 August 2022 of the Prime Minister; Decision No. 5013/QD-BQP of 29 November 2022 of the Minister of National Defence; Decision 194/QD-TTg of 24 February 2024 of the Prime Minister; and the National Action Plan on anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism and countering proliferation financing to implement the Government of Vietnam's commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF);

It advised and reported to the leadership of the Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff on the situation relating to the proliferation and use of WMD and toxic chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents in the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, the situation in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula. It continued to step up communication and dissemination of Decree No. 81/2019/ND-CP and of the activities of Standing Office 81 and the National Focal Point.

Exercises, training, conferences, workshops and international cooperation

It organised training on countering the proliferation of WMD for the southern regional focal point units, the Border Guard and the Coast Guard; provided specialised and scenario-based training on countering the proliferation of WMD for front-line forces and the forces of Standing Office 81; conducted a counter-terrorism exercise involving WMD for the Southern Branch of Standing Office 81 (Exercise DC-24); and took part in an A2 scenario response exercise with the Hanoi City Police in the 2024 Hanoi defensive zone exercise (HN-24).

It maintained and expanded international cooperation in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and implementing international treaties prohibiting weapons of mass destruction, and participated effectively in domestic and international conferences and workshops on countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and on responding to CBRN incidents and disasters, with 24 officers attending 16 conferences and workshops[1]. It took the lead, in coordination with agencies and units inside and outside the Army and with international partners, in organising workshops and training courses on capacity building and the improvement of legislation on countering the proliferation of WMD.

Overall assessment: In 2024, under the leadership, direction and support of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and the Command of the Corps, Standing Office 81 accomplished its tasks of countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction with distinction, contributing to enhancing the role, standing and image of the Chemical Corps – Standing Office of Vietnam's National Focal Point for countering the proliferation of WMD at domestic and international forums. However, some shortcomings remain, such as in the process of advising on and performing the role of state management and urging ministries, sectors and localities to carry out their tasks of countering the proliferation of WMD, some items fell behind the planned schedule because the implementing mechanisms have not yet been established (there is as yet no inspection and examination mechanism, no regulations on administrative sanctions and no criminalisation of WMD proliferation offences).

In 2025, the global and regional situation is forecast to remain complex and unpredictable. The rapid development of new, emerging and potentially destabilising technologies, such as drone technology, hypersonic ballistic missiles and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled weapon systems, poses new challenges to the current nuclear non-proliferation, WMD disarmament and global arms control regimes. Emerging technologies often fall outside existing legal regimes or blur the line between conventional weapons and WMD. This poses numerous challenges to countering the proliferation of WMD worldwide in general and in Vietnam in particular. Domestically, the management of CBRN agents still has many shortcomings, and the legal framework for countering the proliferation of WMD continues to be improved and harmonised to meet the general requirements of international regimes. Standing Office 81 will continue to advise Vietnam's National Focal Point – the Ministry of National Defence – on a number of key tasks in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in 2025, as follows:

First, to continue to disseminate and strictly implement Decision No. 432/QD-TTg of 27 March 2020 of the Prime Minister on the implementation of Decree No. 81/2019/ND-CP, and Decision 194/QD-TTg of 23 February 2024 of the Prime Minister promulgating the National Action Plan to implement the Government of Vietnam's commitments on anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism and countering proliferation financing.

Second, to take the lead, in coordination with agencies and units inside and outside the Army, in advising Vietnam's National Focal Point for countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on conducting a five-year preliminary review of the implementation of Decree No. 81/2019/ND-CP; to propose that the Ministry of National Defence report to the Government on the inclusion of the Law on Countering the Proliferation of WMD in the law-making programme of the 16th National Assembly term; and to advise on the continued implementation of the National Action Plan on anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism and countering proliferation financing to implement the Government of Vietnam's commitments to the FATF, so that Vietnam is removed from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring as soon as possible.

Third, to step up communication activities on the prevention, identification and handling of WMD proliferation situations for ministries, departments and sectors in localities; to produce videos and films for television channels and social media and to operate the web portal of Standing Office 81; to organise training courses, drills and exercises to improve the capacity of the specialised forces of the National Focal Point and Standing Office 81 to respond to WMD proliferation situations (in 2025, an exercise on countering the proliferation of WMD will be held for the Central Branch of Standing Office 81); and to assist focal point units in organising training and exercises on countering the proliferation of WMD.

Fourth, to maintain and step up international cooperation in countering the proliferation of WMD and implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions and the international treaties prohibiting the proliferation of WMD to which Vietnam is a party; to advise on and effectively implement the Cooperation Programme on ensuring domestic security and countering the proliferation of WMD signed between the Chemical Corps (Ministry of National Defence) and the Department of Domestic Security (Ministry of Public Security); and to advise on and organise the signing of cooperation programmes on countering the proliferation of WMD with a number of agencies and units whose functions and tasks are related to those of the Corps.

Highlights of the activities of Standing Office 81 in 2024:

Standing Office 81 delivers training to the southern regional focal point units

Standing Office 81 takes part in a field exercise on handling an A2 scenario with the Hanoi City Police in the Hanoi defensive zone exercise (HN-24)

Workshop on the draft Law on Countering the Proliferation of WMD

Centre 81 – Standing Office 81

[1] Attended 4 workshops and conferences on anti-money laundering and countering proliferation financing; 6 workshops and conferences on import and export management and the identification of dual-use goods; and 6 workshops and conferences on CBRN incident response.