The 3rd UAE Biosecurity Conference starts on Monday in Dubai to identify and discuss issues and concerns in areas of biosecurity and provide a scientific platform for discussions and exchange of knowledge in this field.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the two-day event will be opened by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

"The conference is a key element in the National Biosecurity Committee’s efforts to implement the National Biosecurity Strategy adopted by the UAE Cabinet in 2013 under the theme "Integrated Biosecurity," Engineer Saif Al Shara, Assistant Under-Secretary for the External Audit Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, has stated.

He explained that the conference represents an important platform that brings together international and national expertise to exchange views and ideas for the development of procedures and measures to allow greater control on the transmission of biological agents of all kinds, reduce related threats and limit human and material losses associated with these incidents in different sectors.

The conference, to be held at the InterContinental Festival City Dubai, will include sessions and panel discussions spanning a range of topics of local and international importance. These include the role of international organisations in promoting and building physical and human capacity in the field of safety and biosecurity at civil and military levels; a review global and regional updates in relation to communicable diseases and pest control in agriculture and livestock, such as avian influenza; coordination of international health regulations to meet the challenges of biosecurity; and the importance of developing relief and technical support programs for countries suffering from serious biological threats.

Other important topics of interest at this year’s conference include biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories; the role of modern science and technology in biosafety and biosecurity; the utilisation of the latest technologies in biological control; and the development of mechanisms for the exchange of information between countries and international organisations to prevent hazards that could develop due to the transfer of biological agents across international borders.

The National Biosecurity Strategy is primarily aimed at reducing the risk of biological agents, building capabilities for detecting biological hazards, and building capacity to deal with incidents and biological threats. The National Biosecurity Committee, in cooperation with its domestic and international partners, is pursuing these three objectives through improving legislative frameworks, strengthening institutional frameworks in this area, and developing the mechanisms for data exchange between local authorities and relevant international organizations.