MUSCAT: The theme of the Conference this year is ‘The AMR: from Policy to One Health Action’; it aims to accelerate the process of tackling antimicrobial resistance at the national, regional, and global levels, as well as to enhance international cooperation.

The Conference is organized by the government of the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in cooperation with the Quadripartite Alliance formed by the United Nations to monitor the antibiotic resistance – World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Gulf Health Council for the Cooperation Council States.

The third Conference builds on the success of the two previous Ministerial Conferences held in the Netherlands in 2014 and 2019, which the Sultanate of Oman participated in with a delegation headed by the Minister of Health and a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

Conducting the event in the Sultanate of Oman represents a shift for the conference to include other regions beyond the European continent, exchange experiences, and benefit from the actions taken in those countries, which immensely helped to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes and their adverse effects on the health and economy.
Given the importance of the event, the Sultanate of Oman has been preparing to organize and host this conference in coordination with countries, organizations, and relevant scientific bodies for approximately one year in order to provide constructive content and outcomes that serve as a fundamental addition in countering the risks of AMR locally, regionally, and globally.

The conference will be conducted through keynote speeches, case studies to demonstrate best practices, and interactive discussions between participants. It will be an opportunity for an interactive dialogue on One Health action to address the AMR issue.

Around 50 representatives from different countries are expected to take part in the Conference representing Human Health, Animal Health, and Environment. Moreover, the Directors General and Presidents of WHO, FAO, OIE, and UNEP are participating in the Conference. Renowned global experts representing health, animal, environment, economic, and agricultural aspects have also been invited.

Several objectives are to be achieved through this conference including promoting the importance of political commitment to the One Health approach in addressing the AMR issue; highlighting the role of the environment in the spread of AMR and the importance of surveillance and monitoring of both AMR and antimicrobial use across all three domains (humans, animals and the environment), sharing successful examples in implementing the whole-of-government and One Health approaches to mitigate the threat of AMR, as well providing opportunities for collaboration and partnership between countries and international organizations to address AMR in the context of the SDGs.

Key outcomes of the Conference include the Muscat Manifesto on accelerating One Health action on AMR to meet the 2030 SDGs targets and agree upon the proposed indicators for following up Antibiotic Consumption. It is hoped that the Muscat Manifesto will be submitted for discussion at the upcoming UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AMR in 2024; recommendation on a global framework for a One Health surveillance system for AMR involving all aspects of the One Health; and secure the inclusion of AMR in the United Nation Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

AMR is a continuous concern that is making infections in humans and animals harder to treat. It threatens recent gains in key areas of global health, food security, economic growth, and development.