UAE- Crisis and Emergency Management Conference 2016 concludes

ABU DHABI 15th March 2016 (WAM) --- The fifth Crisis and Emergency Management Conference CEMC 2016 held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Security Adviser and organised by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority NCEMA concluded yesterday at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort Abu Dhabi.

The two-day event entitled "Innovative Approaches towards a Safe Nation" saw the participation of a prominent group of local regional and international experts in the field of emergency crises and disaster management.

At the close of the conference the participants thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi for their ongoing support. They also expressed their gratitude to the NCEMA team for successfully organising the event.

The participants also thanked H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his tireless efforts and thoughtful participation through every stage of the conference and its associated events.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority expressed its gratitude and appreciation to all those who participated and contributed to the success of the fifth edition of CEMC and extended an invitation for them to participate in the CEMC Sixth Edition to be held in 2018.

A speech by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was delivered on his behalf by Fares Mohammed Al Mazrouei Assistant Minister for Security and Military Affairs in the presence of Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi Minister of Education for the UAE.

He said "Crises and disasters may occur from time to time and we are not immune from harm and its aftermath which requires us to speed up our response and professionalism in dealing with them. This is what we see today in the Arab world and the challenges and the risks that may stem from serious and rapid developments touching on national security whether from terrorist acts or from the ideology of extremist terrorist groups."

Sheikh Abdullah added "This requires effective and strategic planning awareness and broad participation to confront address and eliminate terrorism in order to achieve security and stability. The UAE's efforts in this area are seen through its participation in the international coalition to combat terrorism and strategy of the United Nations to combat terrorism. In addition the UAE hosts the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism Hedayah which devotes its efforts for dialogue training and research to combat violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations."

"This is in addition to the establishment of the Sawab Centre which provides support for the international coalition against Daesh and cooperates with relevant members individuals and institutions in the UAE concerned with combating false rumors messages and misinformation promoted by this extremist group" he added.

"Many countries get exposed to sudden security incidents that may affect the safety of the citizens of the United Arab Emirates and put them in danger. Therefore the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation provides the TAWAJUDI service for citizens of the state while abroad to facilitate the process of communication between state missions abroad with citizens who are registered with this service in the event of crisis and emergency occur in order to evacuate them and coordinate their return to the country safely. This indicates the strong concern of the Government of the United Arab Emirates represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the preservation of safety and security of the citizens of the United Arab Emirates wherever they are and wherever they roam.

"The UAE is affected by terrorism as the country is part of the community's international political economic social security and international variables and under the alternating situations faced by the Arab region and the world both during crisis and disasters (different in quality intensity and gravity) which poses a threat to international security and stability. It is necessary to raise a very important point that forms a cornerstone for success in facing these crises and disasters namely international cooperation" Sheikh Abdullah said.

He noted that it requires concerted efforts at the regional and international levels and the reality of the situation has proved that the efforts of individuals in the UAE cannot confront crisis alone whatever their potentials were and here "we hope to live up to the required levels of international cooperation to prevent the risk of crisis and disasters and to reduce their impact as much as possible."

The panel discussions concluded with a number of strategic recommendations summarised by Nasser Mohammad Humaid Al Yammahi Director of Media and Public Information at the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority who is also the director of the organising committee of the conference.

Most notable of the recommendations were to support efforts by countries to spread principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence considered one of the best ways to limit the spread of terrorism and extremism. Channel the energies and capabilities of youth into innovation and creativity thereby reinforcing the role of the private sector. Leverage communication technologies and social media to provide early warning and manage crises and emergencies. Formulate unified policies in the Gulf region to deal with threats and dangers especially geopolitical ones. Encourage countries within the region to adopt the Sendai Framework create a national disaster losses database and to utilise the experiences of the UNISDR the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Sendai Framework is a 15-year voluntary non-binding agreement which recognises that a state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders including local government the private sector and other stakeholders.

Other recommendations were to adopt a unified media strategy for the GCC that serves as a general framework for all media channels whether official or private in addition to the social media to establish a global platform that brings together decision makers to discuss emerging global variables threats and dangers to develop and adopt national solution methodologies specifically for the recovery phase and reinforce the role of governments and international organisations and to support and adopt programmes to sustain work in the aviation sector and support it in facing global challenges The third session of the conference which was presided over by Ahmed Al Yamahi a presenter for Abu Dhabi TV covered global changes causes consequences and solutions while Brigadier Dr. Talal Bani Melhem President of the Crisis and Emergency Management Centre in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan discussed the Jordanian experience in dealing with the refugee crisis.

Sir Alan Massey Chief Executive of the Maritime Coastal Agency the UK Coastguard talked about the structural changes made to the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency and how these changes have resulted in a more efficient and effective system.

Meanwhile Abdullah Al Jaziri Executive Director of Corporate Governance at Etisalat UAE discussed the importance of cyber-security and preparedness for the impacts of newer technologies.

The fourth session which looked at the pivotal role of the media in crisis and disaster management was presided over by Ms. Fathima Bu Hindi from Abu Dhabi Media Corporation. During the session Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Head of Media and Communication Sector talked about the role of media in managing emergencies and crises.

Retired Staff Colonel Dr. Fahed Al Shelaimi Security and Strategy Expert Kuwait highlighted the potential for crisis escalation by negative media and the possibilities of media-manufactured crises. Greg Webb Advisor Media Communications at the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation provided insights into the handling of the Fukushima disaster from a communications perspective.

The fifth session headed by Salem Salmen Al Naimi discussed challenges and solutions in the recovery phase. During this session Frode Mauring UN Resident Coordinator in the UAE discussed the role of governments and international organisations during the recovery phase while Trevor Murphy Head of Operational Resilience for Etihad Airways discussed emergency response from an aviation sector perspective. Julio Sergei an expert from Risk Reduction Organisation highlighted the importance of accounting and assessing losses in crisis situations.

Two separate workshops were held on the sidelines of the conference. In the first Hameed Khalifa Al-Hajri Head of Training in Tawazun Safety Security and Disaster Management City presented the relevance of strategic planning in emergency and crisis management. The second workshop led by Zuhair Kamel Mohammad Manasir Retired Staff Brigadier of the National Defence College in Jordan focused on the mechanisms to build readiness.