IAFS 2023 – A Pivotal Moment for Forensic Science

A personal account by Dist. Prof. Claude Roux . IAFS President (2017-2023), reproduced from The Forensic Exhibit - ANZPAA-NIFS Newsletter (December 2023).

A decade ago, I had a dream - to attract the triennial meeting of the International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) to Australia. Since its inception in 1957, IAFS has stood as an international beacon, uniting practitioners, researchers, students, scientists, medical professionals, police and lawyers. Australia had hosted it only once before, in 1990, under the Presidency of Prof. Bill Tilstone. Ironically, I had missed that Adelaide meeting, attending every IAFS conference since with a lingering reminder of its excellence. The time had come to seize the opportunity. The Australian & New Zealand forensic science community had much to offer in many areas of interest, from well-integrated education and research to innovative operational models. At the same time, most of the world somewhat struggled to make sense of the tensions caused by many forensic science paradoxes. With IAFS, my primary motivation was to bring global forensic science leaders to our shores to showcase the Australian & New Zealand capabilities to the world and strategically discuss a constructive and positive future together, the famous “Where to from here?”.

In 2017, after securing the IAFS Presidency in Toronto with unwavering support from the Australian and New Zealand community, the real work commenced. The conference format would rely on the proven recipe of ANZFSS symposia, combining a robust scientific with a memorable social program. However, we aimed for more than just a conventional conference. Our vision encompassed a meeting leaving a lasting legacy, fostering collaboration with emerging countries and empowering early career delegates through tangible strategic outcomes. The latter would be the hallmark of the conference and delivered through discipline-based mini-summits, industry-led transdisciplinary workshops and a bold statement about forensic science (the Sydney Declaration; see below).

The global pandemic threw a curveball into our meticulous plans. Instead of waiting until 2023, we delivered a virtual event in 2021 in which we revisited what forensic science encompasses and shared seven principles with the community under the name of the Sydney Declaration. While attempting to formalize the forensic science building blocks, the aim was to develop principles which could be used as anchors for a discipline that often evolves in a fragmented and uncoordinated way.

Fast forward to 2023, after six years of planning, the 23rd Triennial Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Sciences, held in conjunction with the 26th Symposium of the Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society unfolded from the 20th to the 24th of November at the Sydney International Convention Centre. This event, drawing over 1,700 delegates from 70 countries, marked a pinnacle in the history of forensic science conferences.

The Opening Ceremony set the tone, reminding the audience that crime and security challenges persist, and the exploitation of the relics, remnants, marks – traces generated by activity and people or objects, how imperfect they may be, remains the best and often the only transparent avenue to solve a case or at least shed some light on it, or even decipher complex problems. From there, we ventured beyond the negative echo chamber, exploring forensic science practices, models and research considering the rapidly changing societal landscape, including digital transformation and calls for an extended contribution of forensic science and medicine to the world’s challenges.

The scientific program featured four compelling plenary sessions, ten parallel breakout sessions spanning 22 disciplines, 570 oral presentations, 510 electronic posters (a first for IAFS), and 25 pre-conference workshops at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Additionally, there were eight industry-led workshops (including AFP transdisciplinary workshops), “Where to from here” mini-summits, and numerous special events, including a forum dedicated to the Sydney Declaration, co-hosted by UTS and the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The thought-provoking plenary program successfully considered Forensic Science in a Post-Pandemic World (Commissioner Karen Webb - Australia, Prof. Lena Klasén - Sweden and Prof. Michael Pollanen - Canada), Forensic Intelligence (Prof. Olivier Delémont – Switzerland, Profs. Christophe Champod & Didier Meuwly – Switzerland and the Netherlands and Prof. Denise Syndercombe Court – UK), Global Strategies on Gender-Based Violence & Missing Persons (Prof. Prof. Anuruddhi Edirisinghe – Sri Lanka, Prof. Michelle Miranda – USA and Dr Thomas Parsons – the Netherlands) and a “Where to from here?” panel session with six speakers led by Dr Simon Walsh PSM from the AFP (Dr Rebecca Bucht – Finland, Caroline Gibb – the Netherlands, Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde OAM - Australia, Prof. Pierre Margot – Switzerland, Dean Catoggio – Australia and Professor Jason Payne-James – UK). Every day, this plenary program set the scene for the remainder of the scientific program and the “Where to from here” mini-summits.

The legacy we aimed for materialized through collaboration with leading forensic science journals. Submissions, closing on the 31st of January, will offer the opportunity for all the delegates to publish work presented at IAFS 2023 in special issues of the Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences – AJFS (extended abstract) or Forensic Science International – FSI (peer-reviewed paper).

The discussion points raised during the “Where to from here?” sessions or through the conference app are being collated and digested. They will form the basis for an overall strategic paper to be published in the FSI special issue.

Recognizing outstanding contributions, the conference honoured professionals and members of the broad international forensic science community:

• American Academy of Forensic Sciences Douglas M Lucas Medal: Prof. Christophe Champod , University of Lausanne, Switzerland;
• 2020 Adelaide Medal: Prof. John Buckleton , ESR, New Zealand;
• 2023 Adelaide Medal: Prof. James Robertson University of Canberra, Australia;
• 2020 IAFS Humanitarian Award: Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine represented by Prof. stephen cordner , Australia;
• 2023 IAFS Humanitarian Award: Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira , University of Coimbra, Portugal.

The awardees’ work has made an outstanding societal impact, and we could not find more deserving people to receive these awards. Congratulations, and thank you to all of them!

The social program added a vibrant touch, fostering connections and reigniting camaraderie. It included the welcome reception where the #iafs2023 (in)famous koalas left the front stage to their living counterparts, the memorable “Out of the world” ANZFSS social night and the gala dinner at Luna Park on the shores of Sydney Harbour. The positive vibe and excitement were noticeable throughout. We held engaging discussions and shared time with new and old colleagues and friends, something we had dearly missed during the pandemic.

While holding IAFS in Australia started with a personal dream and ambition, such a successful delivery epitomizes teamwork. I am grateful for the work and commitment of so many people, named and unnamed. I will highlight and especially thank:

• My colleagues on the Organising Committee and Advisory Committee, who have worked tirelessly over the last six years, including the amazing Scientific Programme Chair, Prof. Chris Lennard , Adj. Prof. Alastair Ross , “Where to from here” Coordinator, Prof. James Wallman , Treasurer, A/Prof. Scott Chadwick , Workshops Coordinator, Dr Jennifer Raymond , Social Program Chair, Prof. Adrian Linacre , Sponsorship Coordinator and Prof. James Curran, ANZFSS President, with a thought for Prof. Tony Raymond who was a very committed Organising Committee member before his sad passing in 2020;

• All the Discipline Convenors who assisted in the review of abstracts and the construction of a scientific program of a very high standard;
• All our sponsors and exhibitors, with special mention of our Gold sponsors, NSW Police Force and 雅培 ;
• The management at the 澳大利亚悉尼科技大学 who have contributed significant support to the Conference;
• Plenary and keynote speakers, workshop presenters and Chairpersons;
• Erin Kelly and everyone at Arinex Pty Ltd for their ongoing advice and invaluable contributions as professional conference organizers.

I also acknowledge 1,707 delegates from 70 countries worldwide, including 20 scholarship winners from low-income and lower to middle-income countries. This made the largest IAFS meeting ever!

Five excellent bids were proposed for IAFS 2026, and the IAFS Council had a difficult task selecting the next president. After many deliberations, Prof. Yanko Kolev, MD, PhD from Bulgaria was elected, and therefore, the next IAFS meeting will be held in Sofia in 2026. The next ANZFSS Symposium will be held in Melbourne in 2025 with Tracie Gould as Chair. I congratulate and wish good luck to both of them. I certainly look forward to both conferences.

By all accounts, IAFS 2023 was a resounding success, and we met our objectives. As expressed by one of our plenary speakers, it served as a pivotal moment where forensic science began articulating its own language and championing its distinctive culture and vision. We take pride in our leading role in this transformative journey.

On a personal note, being the IAFS President has been humbling, though not without challenges, particularly exacerbated by the pandemic-induced stress. I will be remembered as the longest-serving IAFS President, who planned three and delivered one IAFS meeting. Had I known the challenges in 2017, I might have hesitated. But, over these six years, the support I have received has been overwhelming, and I am truly thankful for it. Thank you to everyone who made this journey both rewarding and fulfilling.