HUNDREDS of delegates from around the world will converge on the North-East today for the launch of an international base to tackle the impact of natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

An inaugural conference of the European Telecommunications Resilience and Recovery Association (ETR2A), in Newcastle, will set standards to ensure the protection of vital communications and data.

Telecommunications and security experts and academics will look also look at how the latest technologies can be used in disasters - both man-made and natural.

Event manager Diane Howorth said: "Delegates will be looking at how to react to all kinds of disasters and how to existing technologies.

"For instance tagging devices, used for offenders, can be given to security personal, police or firefighters entering a building.

"If anything happens to the building, they can be traced and got out quickly."

The conference will examine the continuity of businesses in the event of disasters.

Ms Howorth said: "Eighty per cent of companies who lose data are unable to continue trade and tend to go out of business. The aim is to bring in standards to ensure that businesses have backup systems in place."

Nato special advisor Chris Donnelly, who will attend the conference, said: "Western society is becoming more efficient daily, but with that efficiency comes increasing vulnerability."

The association will operate from the University of Northumbria's Disaster and Development Centre.

One NorthEast chairman John Bridge said: "This is precisely the sort of organisation the region needs to attract."

The ETR2A conference will be one of a series of linked events at St James' Park from tomorrow to Friday.

The football ground will also host a two-day ICT Works Exhibition 2003, with about 70 stands representing organisations ranging from small business to BT and Microsoft.

There will also be two one-day conferences on ICT and Enterprising Communities and on e-business.