Al Sha'far: UAE is making relentless efforts to maintain peace, security and stability locally, regionally and internationally

Abu Dhabi (WAM): The UAE is making tremendous holistic efforts to maintain security, stability and tranquillity for both UAE nationals and expatriate residents in consistence with its leadership's vision and mission for serving international peace and security, Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha'far, Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior, has affirmed. ''Security services the UAE is providing today are exemplary and second to none, Al Sha'far said in his welcome remarks at the one-day International Conference on Security Challenges (ICSC), being held at the UAE Armed Forces Officers Club within the activities of the 2014 International Exhibition for Security and National Resilience (ISNR), which is organised by the Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with Reed Exhibitions at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi from 1-3 April. ''Convening the ICSC in Abu Dhabi demonstrates the UAE higher leadership's vision and aspirations to make the UAE one of the best nations in the world in terms of safety and security. It's a vote of confidence in the UAE's skilful organisation and management of specialised and scientific conferences,'' he added. He went on to say that the UAE was interested to be an active partner to sisterly and friendly countries in areas of cooperation and coordination in regard to tackling security challenges and crime prevention. Fighting crime, he noted, is a collective responsibility which requires joint actions and efforts to combat and prevent it by all means and ways in order to realise security, peace and stability internationally. Organisers say ''Due to current and emerging global security challenges, governments and security leaders all over the world have always been on quest for ways through which they can advance national and global security. This demands collaboration in the field of research and expertise in order to revise already existing security measures and legislations for the sake of combating security threats and maintaining peace and security throughout the world.'' The ICSC held in conjunction with the well-established ISNR Abu Dhabi is a platform by the UAE Ministry of Interior to bring senior regional and global officials, police chiefs and security experts to strengthen international cooperation to: Tackle regional homeland security, national resilience and emergency response Establish dialogue and encourage strategic partnerships. Develop tactical approach to fight and prevent domestic crime. Create failsafe state security and border security guidelines. Improvise best security practices to ensure safe and secure environment. This conference is being organised to spread maximum awareness on security related preventive measures that have been tried and tested in various global communities to warrant peaceful business and living conditions throughout the state. Focusing on the important role to be played by the commercial sector in supervision of the law making authorities, the current security shortfall needs to be re-assessed and strengthened, considering the rapid population growth within the Middle East and the grave need for better security measures. A summary of the safety guidelines, risk prevention methods, antiterrorist course of action, land/sea and airport security processes, deterrence to theft/burglaries and related commercial crimes, diminishing street offences, traffic violations and life endangering communal transgressions would be discussed among the important areas of security concerns during the event. The 1st session ''Ensuring Readiness for Countering Security Challenges'' was chaired by Lord John Reid, Former Secretary of State for Defence/ Founder and Chair, UCL Institute for Security ''&'' Resilience Studies, UK. Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, presented a paper on ''Security Challenges in the Light of Regional Changes'', in which he said the UAE had always seeking ways through which it would help preserve international peace and security. ''The UAE higher leadership gives highest priority to preservation of regional security and is well aware of its commitment towards its neighbours and international community in regards to peace and stability,'' he emphasised. Dr. Gargash shed light on UAE's principles on regional security and outlined efforts the UAE is making to maintain stability in the region. He also dwelt on current challenges to regional security, stressing the need for collaborative efforts address them. Claude Baland, Directeur General de la Police Nationale, France, and Chief Daniel Linskey, Superintendent-in-Chief, Boston Police, USA, presented a paper on Strategic Approaches for Encountering Security Threat. Dr Goh Moh Heng, President, BCM Institute, Singapore, and Richard Reed, Senior Vice President, USA Red Cross, USA spoke about Business Continuity Management in Crises Situations. Other experts and speakers presented papers on Contemporary Regional ''&'' Global Security Issues, Event Security Management: Learned Lessons from Boston Marathon, Proactive ''&'' Reactive Measures in Dealing with Major Fires, and Reactive Measures ''&'' Proactive Steps for Dealing with possible CBRN Issues. Brigadier Saeed Salim Al Henki, Director General of Finance & Support Services, at the Ministry of Interior, and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the conference, said that the International Conference on Security Challenges (ICSC) is the result of diligent efforts to attract world-renowned experts and researchers, and become a key platform for police and security work. It also aims to reinforce the many contributions made by the UAE higher leadership in order to achieve a secure society, where all humans enjoy security, stability and peace, regardless of their colour, gender, or race. He added: “The topics that were tackled by the experts and researchers throughout the conference were of high importance, as they added value to this international gathering and achieved the expected results. The myriad topics have touched on many vital issues that require studying and follow-up from decision makers, on the research and institutional security levels, with the aim of improving security work and enhance proactive action to face challenges and reach a secure community. The Conference’s Recommendations: Brigadier al Henki announced the recommendations issued by the conferees during the conference as follows: 1- Develop security work methods and ways of to keep pace with emerging global security challenges. 2- Build bridges of collaboration with academic and research institutes to channel scientific research to serve the international security system, and guarantee business continuity in crises situations. 3- Invite media organisations to review their strategies in order to create a responsible media that helps prevent the spread of experiences, methods, and information that encourage crime and extremism. 4- Create a mechanism to allow individual initiatives to become an essential element of institutional work, to create new mechanisms to deal with extremism, and create a safe environment. 5- Foster collaboration between law enforcement organisations in the world to exchange experiences, and spread the successful security experiences. 6- Improve information exchange between countries in order to ensure access to the latest methods in the field of security planning and management of events and vital facilities. 7- Encourage researchers to participate efficiently in the fields of security and resilience, by creating local and international incentives that are awarded to the best security-related researches. 8- Set up an international advisory committee affiliated to the International Conference on Security Challenges (ICSC), which includes in its membership experts, current and former security and military officials representing several countries, who have a longstanding experience in security work, in order to enhance the standard of the conference and grant it an international stature. – Emirates News Agency, WAM