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The establishment of the International Biosafety Working Group (IBWG) was initiated in the fall of 2001 in response to the identification of a need for an international forum to discuss a wide range of important biosafety issues. It was a time of unparalleled change and challenge for the biosafety profession. The recent bioterrorism letter incidents had dramatically altered the biosafety work environment. The working group was seen as a unique opportunity to establish professional acquaintances, to meet new colleagues, and to share biosafety knowledge, ideas and innovations.
It met for the first time immediately prior to the American Biological Safety's (ABSA) 44th Annual Biological Safety Conference in New Orleans, October 21, 2001. It was clear that the group needed to work together on biological safety issues related to guidelines, training, education and outreach. Key priority biosafety issues for the group to focus on were identified for further discussion at the 2nd meeting held on January 26, 2002 in Atlanta immediately prior to the CDC Biosafety Symposium.
The Secretariat of the International Biosafety Working Group (IBWG) has changed its name to the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). This name change became effective during the 18th bi-annual meeting of the organization held in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the European Biological Safety Association in Stockholm, Sweden on 17 June 2009.
During the 17th bi-annual meeting in Reno, Nevada (19 October 2008), the leadership of the organization discussed the expanding role of the IBWG in the international community of biosafety professionals and the increasing numbers of new Members and Observers that are participating in our meetings. To more accurately reflect the global role of our organization in addressing biosafety and biosecurity harmonization, the leadership suggested that a name change be considered. Several potential names were suggested and discussed by the meeting participants. The list of prospective names was narrowed to four possibilities and, following the Reno meeting, ballots were distributed by the Secretariat and Members voted electronically.
The name selected for the organization is the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). With 13 Member organizations and 9 Observer organizations (including 10 national or regional biosafety associations representing over 45 different countries), we feel the new name accurately reflects the geographical diversity of our participants as well as the expanding role the organization is playing in the international community of biosafety professionals.
Mission
The offers a unique opportunity for biosafety professionals of different nations to coordinate and develop a global biosafety agenda aimed at international harmonization, sharing of information, development of common standards and collaboration in all aspects of biological safety. It's mission is to support and promote biosafety on a national and international level through collaboration among national and regional biosafety organizations worldwide.
It's strategic goals are:
- Creation, coordination and empowerment of an international biosafety advisory body;
- Establishment, documentation, maintenance, and communication of standardized biosafety protocols and procedures;
- Establishment of linkages with key partners;
- Development of an inventory of biosafety laboratory and field best practices and sharing expertise in-between national biosafety organizations;
- Supporting applied biosafety science and research.
| International Federation of Biosafety Associations |
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Meetings
The Federation holds regular meetings and contacts (email, conference call etc.) to discuss strategic goals, objectives, current issues, funding and resources, communication flow and priority setting. Meetings are usually held twice a year in parallel with meetings of national or international biosafety conferences (e.g. EBSA, ABSA).
Activities
One of the first achievements of the IFBA was the development and publication of an International Compendium of Regulations, Guidelines and Information Sources pertinent to the field of biosafety. Key information from around the globe was gathered together and collated by subject matter and by country of source.
In order to make the compendium more accessible to biosafety professionals worldwide, and given the dynamic nature of the document and the continuous evolution of the field of biological safety, it was decided that an electronic web-based version would also be produced. This initiative is an example of the biosafety community's growing commitment to sharing information, knowledge and expertise across borders. Clearly, this commitment is helping us to improve the quality of biosafety practices and standards on a global scale.
The issue of biological safety professional registration has also been discussed by the IFBA. It was felt that it would be worthwhile to further explore the possibility of an international Biosafety Professional Registration (similar to ABSA's Registered Biosafety Professional program but with an international focus). Jonathan Richmond has been tasked to develop draft criteria for further discussion.
Another key activity is the Federation's ongoing effort to expand professional and public awareness of biological safety through effective communication. Strong communication and the collaborative process that flows from it is essential to establishing biosafety guidelines and standards, to setting up effective programs and practices, and to developing research and information sharing networks.
Conclusion
 In a short space of time, the IFBA has established itself as an excellent forum for international associations to interact and exchange information with each other. It has taken a number of significant steps towards the ambitious initiatives that were identified during it's first year of unprecedented challenge. Throughout this process IFBA members have demonstrated flexibility, ingenuity and perseverance. These qualities have enabled us to enhance our knowledge, to improve biosafety standards and procedures and to build more effective working relationships.
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