Commending the MOFA efforts and international community trust

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, June 18th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, attended on Wednesday, the official inauguration of the Regional Secretariat of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centers of Excellence (CoE) Risk Mitigation initiative in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The inauguration ceremony, which was held at the Etihad Towers' hotel in Abu Dhabi, was attended by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Amidst a festive atmosphere HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan addressed the big crowd who came to express their happiness and congratulations to the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi, for winning this prestigious bid to host one of the regional locations of the CoE. He said: “Choosing the United Arab Emirate to host the Regional Secretariat of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centers of Excellence (CoE) Risk Mitigation  demonstrates the cross-border cooperation between the east and west to protect the safety and security of people around the world.” HH Sheikh Saif also expressed his heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and its international partners for their diligent and honest efforts that led to this decision.  HH Sheikh Saif also extended the warm greetings from the UAE leaders to the respected guests and participants.

HH Sheikh Saif added: “I would like to reiterate the keenness and commitment of the UAE government to provide all means of success and excellence, in order to promote prevention and face CBRN risks, based on advanced scientific methods and the best international standards.”

“Today’s challenges are incredibly complex and pressing; overcoming them requires unstinting and concerted efforts to ensure success. It is our duty towards our communities that have entrusted us  to protect them and address the risks that threaten them. These efforts are mandatory to ensure further progress and achieve human prosperity across the globe,” HH Sheikh Saif continued.

The ceremony was attended by a significant number of ministers, ministries’ undersecretaries, Arab and foreign diplomats, in addition to representatives from GCC countries, senior Armed forces officers and VIPs.

Also present at the ceremony were Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior; HE Lt. General Dhahi KhalfanTamim, Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Police and General Security; Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior for Resources and Support Services; Major General Sheikh Taleb Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, the Director General of Ras Al Khaima Police; police chiefs of staff and directors general; and a big number of police officers.

The ceremony started with the National Anthem and recitations from the Holy Quran. Then, HH Sheikh Saif and the audience watched a documentary film showcasing the various tasks and work undertaken by the Regional Secretariat of CoEs, in addition to the distinguished achievements made by the UAE in the field of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation. The film also highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Interior in supporting the security system with a view to maintain the national gains, as well as its role in promoting international cooperation in tackling these risks.

Maciej Popowski, deputy secretary general of the EU external action service delivered a speech, by which he extended his gratitude to the UAE for hosting the center of excellence,  following the initiative that is implemented and funded in cooperation with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). “Opening this center is a significant and meaningful event to provide necessary protection and regional cooperation against CBRN risks.”

Popowski stressed the role of the Abu Dhabi delegation in supporting the EU goals to promote this initiative, saying that Abu Dhabi is on the right path in the efforts towards the mitigation of CBRN risks.

Popowski added: “The EU will provide the necessary assistance to the UAE. The efforts undertaken by the UAE will help achieve the goals set by this center and this inauguration is the first step towards proactively combating these risks; and this is the key objective of this center.”

Dr. Jonathan Lucas, Director, UNICRI, delivered a speech, by which he said: “Opening this center shows the determination of member countries to create a unified prevention and protection methodology. The initiative involves 45 countries that are working under one umbrella to serve humanity and keep abreast of the latest developments through dialogue, mutual trust and joint work.”

Dr. Lucas added: “The member countries will be working together to identify strengths and weaknesses and the predictable risks. This would require concerted and highly efficient efforts among partners, as knowledge exchange contributes to adopting new standards to achieve the ultimate goal. New challenges that arise will require joint efforts and quick response to tackle emergencies, in addition to preemptive measures for protection during crises.

In conclusion, Dr. Jonathan Lucas extended his gratitude to the GCC countries, the strategic partners and especially the United Arab Emirates for hosting the Regional Secretariat of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centers of Excellence (CoE) Risk Mitigation.

At the end of the ceremony, HH Sheikh Saif attended the signing of the agreement to establish the Regional Secretariat of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centers of Excellence (CoE) Risk Mitigation. The agreement was signed by Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations on behalf of the UAE and Dr. Jonathan Lucas, Director, UNICRI, on behalf of the Regional Secretariat of the Centers of Excellence.

The Regional Secretariat of the Centers of Excellence for the mitigation of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) risks is a result of an international initiative jointly implemented by the UNICRI and the EU. The initiative came following the reported incidents of lost, stolen, or abandoned devices containing sealed radioactive sources and the illicit traffic in nuclear and radiological materials , posing a great danger and resulting in big numbers of injuries and deaths.

A CBRN center in the UAE would yield the following results:  developing and improving standards and policies locally; maximizing local and regional capabilities via cooperation among all local authorities through partners; improving general knowledge level; facilitating best practices exchange among countries and avoiding double standards; promoting cooperation and integration by creating a national expert team to evaluate needs, provide national strategic support to mitigate risks; offering international membership for a CBRN expert network; leveraging learning opportunities, training, expertise, procedures and equipment, based on the local needs; and others.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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