UAE Minister of Environment & Water H.E. Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi will inaugurate and address the inaugural session of the Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference 2007: A Seminar for Life Science and Policy Communities in the Gulf and MENA region which is organized by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) in cooperation with the International Council for Life Sciences (ICLS), based in Washington DC, USA from November 12-14, 2007 at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Conference, which is being held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of EAD, will convene experts from around the world to discuss enhancing public health, safety and security against biological risks.
HRH Princess Sumaya bint al Hassan, President, Royal Scientific Society, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will attend the conference where she is schedule to speak in the opening session in addition to Prof. Terence Taylor, Chairman and Director of International Council for Life Sciences.
The conference will feature presentations on best practices, standards and training in biosafety and biosecurity and success stories for national and trans-national disease surveillance networks. Special attention will be paid to identifying priority areas for the Gulf and MENA region and developing an action plan for future work.
The Conference will cover 4 main themes: Framing the Challenge: The Full Spectrum of Biological Risks; Disease Surveillance Networks; Enhancing Biosafety and Biosecurity: Global and Local Contexts; and Education and Training for Biosafety and Biosecurity.
On the first day, H.E Majid Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD and Ambassador Masood Khan, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva are schedule to chair the first session that will focus on "Framing the Challenge: The Full Spectrum of Biological Risks"
The second session, which will discuss "Disease Surveillance Networks" will be chaired by Dr. Rima Khabbaz, Director, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA and Dr. Suleiman Al-Busaidy, Interim Director, PulseNet Middle East Director, Department of Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Oman
A panel discussion will be held on November 14 (last day of the Conference). All invited participants will be encouraged to contribute to this session. A set of recommendations will be produced from their inputs. This outcome will form the basis for a post-conference follow-up process on a national, regional and global basis.
It is worthwhile to note that the International Council for the Life Sciences (ICLS), a non-profit, membership-based organization, is dedicated to enhancing biological safety and security by safeguarding advances in the life sciences and facilitating partnerships between governments, international inter-governmental organizations and the life sciences community.
Conference Themes
Framing the Challenge: The Full Spectrum of Biological Risks
- Public Policy and the Role of Governments
- Naturally Occurring and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Middle East, Gulf and North Africa
- Regional Perspectives on Biosecurity and Biosafety
Disease Surveillance Networks
- Setting Up and Maintaining Trans-national Disease Surveillance Networks
- National Efforts
- Information Exchange
Enhancing Biosafety and Biosecurity: Global and Local Contexts
- Biosafety and Biosecurity Management in the Animal and Human Health Communities
- Biosafety and Biosecurity in the United Arab Emirates
- Education and Training for Biosafety and Biosecurity
- Hands-On Training Programs Using a Mock Biosafety Level 3 & 4 Laboratory
- Drafting Textbooks and Other Written Training Materials
- Roles of National Biological Safety Associations
What is Biosafety?
? It is the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health.
? Biosafety is related to several fields:
- Ecology
- Agriculture
- Medicine
- Chemistry
- Exobiology
? The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was the first international agreement to regulate the transboundary movements of genetically engineered (GE) organisms. This Protocol is a subsidiary agreement to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was signed by over 150 governments at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Protocol itself came into force in September 2003. Now, 100 countries have signed up. The Protocol requires that countries are informed and agree in advance to imports of GE crops.
What is Biosecurity?
? A biosecurity guarantee attempts to ensure that ecologies (including natural habitats) sustaining either people or animals are maintained.
-Ends-
EAD Contacts:
Laila Y. Al-Hassan or Sobhia El Masri
T: +9712 693-4638/637
E: lalhasan@ead.ae or selmasri@ead.ae
ICLS Contact:
Jennifer Runyon,
T: +1 202 659 8058
E: runyon@iclscharter.org
© Press Release 2007
