IFBA’s 2nd International Conference will take place June 28-29, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa, immediately following the annual conference of the African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA). The IFBA conference provides a unique forum for policy makers, stakeholders, donors, international agencies and governments to interact with the African biosafety community and advance global biosafety and biosecurity. Click here for more information.

The IFBA is pleased to welcome the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (BTWC) Implementation Support Unit (ISU) to our family of observer organizations. The ISU is funded by the States Parties to the Convention and provides administrative support to meetings of the Convention and support to States Parties in implementing their obligations under the BTWC. We welcome the development of this constructive relationship with the ISU and look forward to working together to realize our common goals of biological safety and security.

The BTWC-ISU provided time for NGOs, including the IFBA, to deliver a short statement at the 7th Review Conference held in Geneva in early December 2011.  Looking to the future, the IFBA used this occasion to recognize the unique opportunity that we have in strengthening our engagement and collaboration with BWC stakeholders as an important partner in achieving our complementary goals across the world. Our task is to help ensure that all states have the biosafety, biosecurity and biological non-proliferation knowledge and tools they require. Collaboration with international, regional and national biosafety associations provides a direct channel with those who actually run the facilities that conduct biological research. Through this partnership, our community, which includes countries which are not active participants in the BWC, is an invaluable resource for work related to the convention.

Click here for the IFBA Statement to the 7th Review Conference of the BTWC.

In meeting its mandate to improve animal health, veterinary public health, and animal welfare worldwide, the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) has recently released a new Strategy on Biological Threat Reduction "Strengthening Global Biological Security."  The OIE’s strategy for bio-threat reduction addresses 5 key areas:

• Policies, advocacy, and communication
• Maintaining expertise and setting standards, guidelines, and recommendations
• International cooperation
• Global disease intelligence
• Capacity-building and solidarity

The OIE cooperates with the international biosafety community in developing risk-based guidance on biosafety/biosecurity for veterinary laboratories and animal facilities. As an official observer organization to the IFBA and through participation by OIE Director General Dr. Bernard Vallat on the IFBA Board of Directors, the OIE maintains a close working relationship with IFBA and our members around the world. For more information, visit the OIE website here.

Nominations for the 2012 IFBA Biosafety Heroes awards are now open. The deadline is 1 April 2012. Awards will be presented at the second annual IFBA conference in Johannesburg. Nominations can be made by anyone.

Please recognize those who have made a real  difference helping others in the field of biosafety and biosecurity by nominating them for this unique award today.







Dr. Indrawati Sendow, of the Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Science, receiving one of the first five Biosafety Heroes awards at the first annual IFBA conference.

More information on the IFBA's Biosafety Heroes Award

Nomination Form  

The Conference was held at El Hassan Science City under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal. Over 130 participants from 23 countries gathered together to promote healthier and more secure communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and agreed upon a plan of action for improving the region’s preparedness and ability to respond to biological risks. Participants agreed to continue to develop and sustain national biosafety associations in the MENA Region to coordinate both regionally and with the IFBA.  Click here to view the full BBIC 2011 Communique.

(Photo: M. Ellis - IFBA Co-Chair, T. Taylor - ICLS, Caryl Griffin - ERG Foundation meet with HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Jordan)

Further information on the Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference (BBIC) is available here

IFBA Bangkok Declaration

Maureen Ellis, Co-Chair IFBA, Conference Welcome Remarks

David Heymann Keynote Dinner Speech