|
The first Interpol Global Conference on Preventing Bioterrorism
is being held at the Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France
on 1st and 2nd March, 2005. More than 450 delegates from over
150 nations are expected to participate in this conference.
Sh. U.S. Misra, Director CBI and Head of Interpol India has
left for France to attend this Conference. Senior police officers,
counter terrorism experts, scientists and public health officials
from all over the World will take part in this Conference
being organised by the Interpol.
Bioterrorism represents one type of public health infectious
emergency which does not occur naturally but is caused by
the use of disease causing agents, used as biological weapons
by terrorists. The Director, CBI would emphasize upon the
role and responsibility of law enforcement agencies in combating
bioterrorsim, which so far has been limited to public health
department only. The topic of bioterrorism went into sudden
prominence after 9/11 when the real bioterrorism struck US
and UK with anthrax spores being sent by mail to unsuspecting
general population.
The Director, CBI will stress upon a Central Multidisciplinary
Monitoring Agency for investigating into the bioterrorism
attacks because it involves several inter-level agencies like
Police, public health environmental protection and civil amenities
etc. The Director, CBI will also discuss the aspects of effective
law enforcement to deal with bioterrorism because in India,
like many countries, criminal justice system is constrained
by inadequate legal framework governing the detection and
repression of bio weapons.
This Conference will be immediately followed by the First
Annual Conference of all the Heads of Interpol countries at
Lyon on 3rd and 4th march, 05. Shri U.S. Misra, the Director/
CBI had mooted the idea of holding such a conference during
the 73rd General Assembly session at Mexico in November, 2004.
This was suggested because the General Assembly had fallen
short of providing an opportunity to all the member States
to discuss basic issues about the functioning of the Interpol.
The Conference will be inaugurated by Mr. Noble, Secretary
General, ICPO, from now onwards it will be an annual feature
in the calendar of Interpol events. Some important areas of
discussions in the conference would be Crisis Management Support,
Interpol Communication Services, exchange of information strategy
and treatment of Red Notices and Diffusion Messages by member
countries.
|
