Under the patronage of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior, opened the Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) Conference for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region this morning. The two-day conference, organized by the Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the International Police (INTERPOL), is being held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
The opening was attended by Major General Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Major General Staff Obeid Al Hiri Al Kutbi, deputy commander-in-chief of Abu Dhabi Police; Major General Khamis Saif bin Suwaif Director General of Criminal Security at the Ministry of Interior; Major-General Hamid Mohammed Al Hudaidi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, Director General of Finance and Services at Abu Dhabi Police; Major General Mohammed bin Al Awadhi Al Menhali, Director General of Police Operations at Abu Dhabi Police; and Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, Head of the Victim Affairs Office Committee and General Coordinator of the Conference. It was also attended by members and representatives of International Criminal Police, delegations participating in the conference, and a number of high-ranking police officers.
The ceremony commenced with the National Anthem, followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran. Following the recitation, Lt. General Saif Al Sha’far gave a speech in which he welcomed the participants and extended greetings from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to them. He also conveyed his warm wishes for the conference’s success in achieving the goals and prospects, which will positively reflect on the people of the region.
He said: “The first DVI Conference held in the UAE is a reflection of the vision of our higher commandment in building bridges of communication and empowering capabilities and efficiencies of police forces in victim identification through the participation of international activities and forums. The conference represents our nation’s leading role in knowledge transfer. This role is represented by the country’s consistent review of international best standards and various projects and initiatives; the UAE’s leading role is also evident in that it is a member of the International Group for Disaster Victims Identification at the International Criminal Police (INTERPOL).”
“Under the instruction of our higher commandment, the UAE has emphasized all capabilities and measures, whether required or provisional, to guarantee safety and stability for citizens, residents, and visitors among its priorities and objectives. The UAE aims to enhance international security cooperation and joint collaboration among different police forces in the region and across the world, in order to support expertise exchange and learn the latest international updates in this field and other vital fields. Our nation aims to benefit from the best international practices to achieve all prospects and goals, and spread the culture of readiness to deal with disasters, not only in the Middle East, but also in North Africa,” he added.
Lt. General Saif Al Sha’far also said: “Under the instructions of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the Ministry of Interior is working to qualify and train its staff according to the best international standards. It is also very keen to qualify human resources in disasters, rescue, and crisis sectors reflecting its strategy to make all concerned forces ready to dea