On 13 October 2021, Bela Gabitashvili, Head of the Quality Control and International Relations Department, Bureau, participated in the annual online meeting organized by the Quality and Competence Executive Committee (QCC) of the European Network of Forensic Institutions. The conference discussed the innovations of the quality management system and the trends of its improvement. The quality managers of ENFSI member forensic institutions shared best practices for improving laboratory performance. The participants of the meeting also got acquainted with the initiatives and challenges on the international standard ISO-17025 introduced by the European Accreditation Center (EA) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The quality system implemented in the Bureau is a guarantee of the accuracy of the examination results and the high-quality standard of the research.

Mamuka Jangulashvili, Head of LEPL Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau hosted Sara Rupert, newly appointed Director of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Tbilisi, Larry Fokas, INL Police Adviser, and Scot Wiggins, Criminal Justice Advisor. In the course of the meeting, Head of the Bureau discussed the ongoing projects in the Bureau and future cooperation plans with the INL. The guests visited the chemical and narcological, criminological, DNA and computer examination laboratories equipped with modern technologies in accordance with the international standards and got acquainted with specifics of forensic activities of the experts. National Forensic Bureau has been actively collaborating with the INL over the years, which has made a significant contribution to the development of the Bureau.

On 28-29 September 2021, Nino Kochiashvili, Head of Forensic Biology Department and Bela Gabitashvili, Head of Quality Control and International Relations Department, , participated in the ENFSI DNA Working Group (DNA EWG) Online Conference. At the session of DNA quality control and assurance subgroup, Nino Kochiashvili delivered a presentation on risk assessment ‘Risk estimation according to ISO 17025’, where she shared with her European colleagues the local standard document and experience in terms of DNA quality, risk assessment and control document and experience at the Bureau. It should be noted that risk assessment, management and monitoring are new types of requirements, which have been successfully met by the accredited laboratories of the Bureau.

The process of mass vaccination has been actively underway at the Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau. Employees of Forensic Regional Department of Adjara have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Experts of the Bureau share civic responsibility and the importance of vaccination to end the pandemic. As of today, almost 60 percent of the staff of the Bureau have been fully vaccinated and 10 percent of the staff have been vaccinated with a first dose of coronavirus vaccines registered in Georgia - Sinopharm, Sinovac, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Vaccination against COVID-19 is an important process to improve the epidemiological situation in the country. The vaccination process will help protect lives of people in Georgia and return to normal life. The process of vaccination of Bureau staff will continue actively until the vaccination is completed.