The Sultanate of Oman preparations to host the 3^rd Global High-level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Muscat from 24 to 25 November are ongoing.

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 conference provides an opportunity for simulating the interactive dialogue on the ‘’One Health’’ action to address the AMR pandemic. Therefore, the theme of the Conference this year is "The AMR Pandemic: from Policy to One Health Action", that aims to accelerate tackling the antimicrobial resistance at the national, regional, and global levels, as well as to enhance international cooperation.

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 pandemic; 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.

The 3^rd Conference builds on the success of the two previous Ministerial Conferences held in the Netherlands in 2014 and 2019. The 3rd AMR Conference will gather ministers of health, agriculture, animal health, environment along with the Quadripartite Alliance (WHO, FAO, OIE, UNEP), policymakers, key global experts, representatives from the private sectors, civil society and related research institutions and international organizations.

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.

The conference will be conducted through keynote speeches, case studies to demonstrate best practices, and interactive discussions between participants.

AMR is a continuous pandemic 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.

New estimates have identified 1.27 million deaths in 2019 from drug-resistant infections. Without action, by 2050 AMR could lead to a 3.8% reduction in annual gross domestic product (GDP) and push as many as 28 million people into poverty.

There has been some global progress in addressing AMR. In 2015, the Global Action Plan by the World Health Assembly was adopted and subsequently endorsed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The 2016 UN General Assembly (UNGA) Political Declaration has played critical role to galvanize political action to address AMR across sectors.

The World Bank Group predicts that by 2050, global livestock production will decline from at least 2.6% to 7.5% annually as a result of antimicrobial resistance. The World Economic Forum has classified antimicrobial resistance as a global threat that is beyond the ability of any organization or country to manage or mitigate on its own.

In 2019, the UN Secretary-General had called upon Member States to deliver the urgent support and investment needed to scale up AMR responses at national, regional, and global levels, recommending that AMR be included in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The Establishment of the AMR SDG indicators is a key milestone in recognizing the importance of monitoring AMR as part of the SDGs at national and global levels and catalyzing One Health action on AMR.

Most countries have now developed AMR National Action Plans (NAP). However, there are major challenges in funding, implementing, scaling up, and sustaining the full range of essential programmatic and effective interventions.

The COVID-19 pandemic, once again, demonstrates the key linkages between humans, animals and the environment. The pandemic has reiterated the importance of early investment in prevention, preparedness, and response towards hazards.

Therefore, the Conference will aim at providing a critical opportunity to showcase strategies to translate political commitment to tangible action, share experience and expertise in implementing the whole-of-government and One Health approaches to mitigate the threat of AMR, and create new avenues for collaboration and strengthening partnerships between countries and international organizations to address AMR in the context of the SDGs.