The United Arab Emirates, representing the Middle East region, took part in the Interpol DNA Monitoring Expert Group Meeting that was recently held in the city of Norman, Oklahoma, in the USA.
Brigadier General Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Head of the Forensic Evidence Department at Abu Dhabi Police, emphasized the importance of participating in such conferences and meetings in order to keep abreast of the latest developments in the policing and security field. He noted that the UAE has made outstanding contributions by strengthening international cooperation with the Interpol, particularly with respect to forensic evidence.
For her part, Colonel Expert Maryam Ahmed Al Qahtani, Chief of the Forensic Biology and DNA Section at the ADP Forensic Evidence Department, representative of the Middle East experts group, noted that the meeting, in its 30th edition, touched on the scientific developments in the field of DNA and DNA test protocols worldwide, alongside the training of Member Countries in the field of DNA testing.
Colonel Al Qahtani pointed out that the UAE, represented by the ADP Forensic Evidence Department, has showcased its latest scientific techniques in the field of Genetic Data analysis, which supports the country’s efforts to increase case clearance rates to record levels, according to scientifically developed and advanced standards.
Colonel Al Qahtani stressed that the United Arab Emirates, is the only active member at the Middle East region’s level to participate in such meetings. She added that the head of the Interpol’s DNA unit has praised the excellent level of cooperation shown by the UAE in various scientific fields related to combating crime.
She said that the meeting issued a number of significant recommendations, such as the need to comply with the best international practices in the search for missing persons and the exchange of information between the various countries around the world. “The meeting also focused on reinforcing cooperation with judicial authorities around the world, and came up with a set of recommendations, including the need to organize a DNA global conference to be held every three years at the Interpol headquarters in France; to discuss the different legislations that govern the DNA testing process and their observance of human rights; to emphasize the commitment to quality in the DNA tests; and to assist Member Countries in creating DNA databases, especially developing countries,” she said.
In conclusion, she said: “Experts have also discussed the results of the Interpol Global DNA Profiling Survey, which was distributed to various Interpol Member Countries around the world, as well as the latest scientific and security developments in the field of DNA. They also examined the experiences of Interpol Member Countries and the exchange of expertise in the scientific and security fields, and touched on the efforts of different countries made in the use of DNA profiling and testing.”