Countering WMD Disinformation
A G7 Global Partnership Initiative to understand and counter WMD disinformation on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
What is Disinformation?
Chemical Weapons are chemicals used to cause intentional death or harm through their toxic properties…
Biological Weapons comprise bacteria, viruses or toxins disseminated through a delivery mechanism to inflict harm or kill humans, plants or animals…
Nuclear Weapons are devices capable of producing an explosion and massive damage and destruction by the sudden release of energy instantaneously released from self-sustaining nuclear fission and/or fusion…
Decoding CBRN Disinformation in Disarmament
Our CBRN Tracker brings together tools and analysis for understanding how CBRN-related disinformation is constructed, spread and adapted over time.
Our Tactic Spotlight Series offers a practical introduction to how WMD disinformation operates across biological, radiological and nuclear contexts. They highlight recurring tactics, explain how false or misleading narratives can shape public understanding and policy debates, and place today’s claims within a longer history of state-backed disinformation campaigns.
Our Video Explainers break down complex CBRN disinformation issues into accessible, short-form resources to help viewers recognise common false narratives,
understand how they spread, and see why they matter for international security and
public trust.
Our History of Disinformation series places today’s CBRN disinformation in
historical context, showing how false claims about weapons of mass destruction have
been repeatedly used from the Cold War to the present to sow distrust, manipulate
public opinion and advance geopolitical goals. It highlights the continuity of these
narratives, even as the platforms, actors and speed of disinformation have changed.
How are CBRN disinformation campaigns built and how do narratives travel across the world?
Our “Matryoshka” Model—named after the Russian nesting dolls—explains how stabilized narratives at the core of a disinformation campaign become adapted across different regions. A global narrative, such as claims about public health cooperation, disease surveillance or laboratory capacity-building being used as cover for military biological activities, becomes adapted through local histories, anxieties and institutional opacity. In Africa, the ‘biolab’ narrative may sound like medical exploitation. In Southeast Asia, it may sound like loss of sovereignty over biological samples or agricultural systems. In Latin America, it may sound like anti-imperial critique or fears about covert intervention. Local reactions — protests, political questions, lab closures, public mistrust — to the narrative can be recycled back into the global narrative as “proof” that something suspicious was happening. Learn more from our case studies.
Explore Specialised Content
The Analysis tab offers deeper insight into CBRN disinformation through reports and publications from the Initiative.
Designed for disarmament diplomats, the For Delegates tab brings together
disarmament meeting materials, including primers, practical tools and Initiative
statements.
The Educational Tools tab provides accessible resources to support learning and building understanding of CBRN-related disinformation across CBRN domains. It includes video explainers, articles, primer briefs, games and media coverage that help users navigate key narratives, recurring allegations and core concepts.