29 June 1995 Ne'urim, Israel
International Symposium on Fingerprint
Detection and Identification

Summary by Pierre Margot and Ed German

Following the plenary session on Fingerprint Identification, discussing the standards of identification, the discussion continued with over 30 participants. Conversation centered on fingerprint identification standards and controls. After intense discussion, a consensus was reached that the key issue did not reside in fixed numbers of points of identification but more on matters such as selection, training, image quality, proficiency testing, certification and casework quality assurance.

It was found that all participants could agree on one resolution, a slight variation on the IAI 1973 resolution on minimum points stating that:

"No scientific basis exists for requiring that a pre-determined minimum number of friction ridge features must be present in two impressions in order to establish a positive identification."

"Valid" in the earlier resolution is replace by "Scientific", taking into account countries where policy or legal decisions make it compulsory to use a minimum number of points or minutiae. "Characteristics" is replaced by "features" so as to include poroscopy, ridgeology, compound minutiae values, etc.. "At this time" was dropped as unnecessary because the resolution is dated.

All present agreed that the issues of training, education, quality assurance, etc. should be addressed at the next international symposium in Illinois.

The resolution was unanimously approved by all present, and later, signed by 28 persons from the following 11 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Holland, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America. The views expressed were the opinions of the persons present and not intended to represent the individual agencies or governments.