Dear Friend:

When I was appointed Minister of Justice, Employment and Social Security for the Basque government and assumed competence for Health and Safety at Work, I made the firm proposal to spare no effort in approaching the serious problem of occupational hazards.

Over the past few years, the Basque Country autonomous region has implemented a series of initiatives that have proved to be effective in diminishing the accident rate. Nonetheless, I am convinced that no measure will be as effective in eliminating occupational hazards as a corporative culture to promote safety through prevention.

That is the purpose of the III International Conference on Health and Safety at Work which will be held in Bilbao on 4-6 June. We intend the Conference to be a key point of reference in the sharing knowledge and comparing experiences, thus contributing to progress in our firm commitment to improve health and safety at work.

The programme envisages a series of current issues of unquestionable interest, such as the contribution of new technologies to the field of prevention, the prospects for monitoring workers' health, strategic models for occupational health and security in the EU and the role of the media in raising awareness in the wider community.

The battle against occupational hazards requires the cooperation of every stakeholder. Therefore, the committee for organizing the III International Conference on Health and Safety at Work and I are pleased to invite you to take part in this important event.

We look forward to your attendance.

Regards,

JOSEBA AZKARRAGA