The Global Asbestos Forum (formally known as European Asbestos Forum - EAF) is pleased to announce the 8th edition of its renowned international conference, taking place on 13-14 November 2025 in Bergen, Norway. Under the theme ‘Asbestos: a global challenge', this year’s conference will once again bring together an international community of scientists, health and safety experts, policymakers, asbestos survivors, advocates, and industry professionals. On the first day, there will be an exciting sightseeing tour (of course with a focus on asbestos) through the historical city centre, workshops and presentations, culminating in a Gala Night at the Grand Hotel Terminus. (We can attest, from last year’s Gala Night, that this is an unmissable event with fabulous music.) On the second day, the venue for the classic conference day on the 14th will be the world-famous Grieghallen, which once hosted the Eurovision Song contest.
Founded in 2014 by Dutch lawyer and asbestos advocate Dr. Yvonne Waterman, the Global Asbestos Forum was created with the mission to unite stakeholders from all corners of the globe to improve asbestos awareness, prevention, and innovation. With each year, the conference has grown into a global premier event, known for combining scientific insight with lived experience, and fostering meaningful international collaboration to tackle the ongoing challenges posed by asbestos exposure.
The 2025 Global Asbestos Forum conference will offer a rich programme that includes nearly 40 international expert speakers, dynamic panel discussions and workshops on the latest in asbestos management. Delegates will gain insights from real-life case studies and survivor testimonies, while a powerful photo exhibition will highlight the personal impact of asbestos-related diseases. New to the event will be the first Asbestography Contest, a joint effort of the Global Asbestos Forum and Eurofins, where the winners of four categories will have their photos exhibited and the all-out winner of the Asbestography Photo of the Year will be announced. The event will also include a specially curated excursion through the historical city centre of Bergen, providing attendees with a local perspective on asbestos policies and remediation efforts in Norway.
Past conferences have highlighted critical issues such as legacy asbestos in buildings, the psychological and economic effects on victims and families, technological innovations in detection, abatement and demolition, policy and international legal frameworks. This year’s event will continue that tradition, with an even greater emphasis on cross-border solutions, the human cost of asbestos exposure, and how policy and technology can work together to create safer environments.
Dr. Yvonne Waterman explains: “This year, I am so pleased to co-host the conference with the Norwegian AsbestForum group. Together, we hope to welcome very many asbestos (related) professionals from all over the world to catch up on, and share, the state of the art on asbestos. I have a private little bet going on: Will we surpass the conference’s record of attendees from 26 countries across six continents attending? The six continents are in the bag already.”
The conference will also provide attendees with ample networking opportunities, creating new partnerships between scientists, National Government Organisations, legal professionals, training, surveying, microscopy, abatement and demolition experts, occupational, industrial and environmental health organisations and professionals, and public health authorities.
Details regarding the full conference programme and registration will be released shortly. The Global Asbestos Forum warmly invites professionals from all industries, government agencies, academia, legal fields, and advocacy organisations to take part in this landmark event.
For more information or to express interest in attending or sponsoring the event, please contact Dr. Yvonne Waterman at info@globalasbestosforum.org or 0031-6-81918943 or visit globalasbestosforum.org
Published on Tuesday 2nd September 2025