Emerging technologies are reshaping the chemical security landscape, and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, commonly referred to as drones, are among the most prominent examples. Drones are widely used in many areas of security, including border surveillance, critical infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, and law enforcement operations, but also in other areas of life, such as agriculture, industry, logistics, and tourism.
As these systems become cheaper, more capable and more widely available, they create new challenges for preventing the misuse of toxic chemicals. At the same time, they offer opportunities to support verification and capacity-building activities carried out by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Seventeen experts from various organisations had the opportunity to explore how this technology could impact the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at an OPCW technical workshop from 22 to 23 April 2026 at the Organisation's Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre). The workshop was organised with financial support from the European Union.
Rapidly evolving technology in a dynamic security landscape
"UAVs are not inherently problematic," said OPCW Deputy Director-General, Ambassador Odette Melono, at the opening of the event. "On the contrary, they offer significant benefits across civilian, industrial, and humanitarian domains. However, they also exemplify the challenge of dual-use technologies that could threaten the object and purpose of the Convention."
Under the CWC, chemical weapons include any munitions and devices designed to inflict harm or cause death through the release of toxic chemicals. Experts warned that non-State actors have demonstrated capabilities in both chemical weapons and drone weaponisation. The possible convergence of these threats raises concerns and should be closely monitored.
Experts at the workshop underlined that drone technology is evolving faster than the ability to control it. Criminal actors are quick to test and adapt emerging technologies, and keeping up to date with technological developments is no longer optional.
Magnus Sjöberg, Seconded National Expert at the Europol Innovation Lab, speaks to participants on the threat assessment of UAV misuse by non-State actors, highlighting considerations for evaluating UAV-enabled chemical threats.
From threat to tool: Drone technology in support of OPCW's mandate
The dual-use nature of UAV technology cuts both ways. The same advances that give rise to concern also open new possibilities.
Participants in the workshop examined how drone technology could support the OPCW's non-routine field operations - activities carried out in complex, often dangerous environments such as active conflict zones, contaminated or damaged sites, or areas where access is restricted.
Working through a series of realistic field scenarios, a consistent theme emerged: in the context of OPCW field work, experts suggested that drones could be a valuable reconnaissance and safety tool. By surveying a site before any team enters, a UAV can fundamentally alter the risk calculus of a mission, prioritising the safety of those involved.
Keeping pace
The workshop reflected OPCW's broader commitment to monitor scientific and technological developments that may affect the Convention's implementation. As UAV technology continues to evolve, the OPCW remains vigilant about the challenges new capabilities may present.
By bringing together experts from across disciplines, the OPCW is helping ensure that the CWC remains effective in a rapidly changing technological environment, while ensuring the Organisation and its Member States are able to acknowledge and address emerging chemical security challenges.
Workshop participants explored how drones could support OPCW operations in complex and potentially dangerous environments, such as conflict zones or contaminated sites.
Background
How drone technology could impact the CWC has been a topic of discussion closely examined by the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board and the Open-ended Working Group on Terrorism.
The OPCW's Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism, the primary platform through which States Parties address the challenge of chemical terrorism, has dedicated successive sessions to the issue, hearing from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in July 2025, an academic expert on UAV attack scenarios and emerging trends in October 2025, and, most recently, an Interpol expert in March 2026.
The Organisation's Scientific Advisory Board has been equally active, flagging risks posed by commercially available agricultural spraying platforms, the implications of AI integration, and the role of additive manufacturing in enabling bespoke dispersal devices.
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention's entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 - totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents - have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW's strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
