HE Saeed Al Eter

Chairman, UAE Government Media Office; Director-General, The Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Deputy Secretary- General, MBRGI | United Arab Emirates

Saeed Mohammad Al Eter Al Dhanhani is the Director-General of the Public Diplomacy Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and the Director-General of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. In addition, Al Eter is the Deputy Secretary General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), considered one of the highly recognized philanthropist multi-entity organization in the region. In 2018, MBRGI spent a total of AED 1.5 billion, across 5 pillars: Humanitarian Aid & Relief, Health Care & Disease Control, Spreading Education & Knowledge, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Empowering Communication, benefitting around 70 million people in 86 countries around the world. Through MBRGI, Al Eter supervises Pan-Arab initiatives, like the Arab Reading Challenge, the Hope Makers, and Madrasa e-learning platform. Saeed Al Eter is also a board member and the Secretary-General of the UAE Soft Power Council, where he oversees the development of the country’s Soft Power Strategy, in addition to his role at Dubai Future Council and Nation Brand.

HE Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) | United Arab Emirates

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected as WHO Director-General for a five-year term by WHO Member States at the Seventieth World Health Assembly in May 2017. He is the first WHO Director-General to have been elected from multiple candidates by the World Health Assembly, and is the first person from the WHO African Region to serve as WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer. Immediately after taking office on 1 July 2017 Dr Tedros outlined five key priorities for the Organization: universal health coverage; health emergencies; women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health; health impacts of climate and environmental change; and a transformed WHO. Prior to his election as WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012–2016. In this role he led efforts to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Dr Tedros served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health from 2005–2012, where he led a comprehensive reform of the country’s health system. All roads lead to universal health coverage for Dr Tedros, and he has demonstrated what it takes to expand access to health care with limited resources. The transformation he led as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health improved access to health care for millions of people. Under his leadership Ethiopia invested in critical health infrastructure, expanded its health workforce, and developed innovative health financing mechanisms. Beyond Ethiopia, Dr Tedros’ global leadership on malaria, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child health has been immensely impactful. He was elected as Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Board in 2009, and previously served as Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board, and Co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Board. Born in the city of Asmara, Eritrea, Dr Tedros holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Health from the University of Nottingham and a Master of Science (MSc) in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London. Dr Tedros is globally recognised as a health scholar, researcher, and diplomat with first-hand experience in research, operations, and leadership in emergency responses to epidemics. Throughout his career Dr Tedros has published numerous articles in prominent scientific journals, and received awards and recognition from across the globe. He received the Decoration of the Order of Serbian Flag in 2016, and was awarded the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of public health in 2011.

HE Khaled Sherif

Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, African Development Bank Group (AfDB) | United Arab Emirates

Since November 2016, Dr. Khaled Sherif is the Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). He oversees the Bank’s sovereign operations via five regional hubs – North, South, East, West, and Central – 31 country offices and five liaison offices. In this capacity, Dr. Sherif also guides the Bank’s regional integration agenda, notably the support to the African Continental Free Trade Area, and its engagement in the continent’s fragile situations. Currently, Vice-President Sherif oversees the implementation of the Bank’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Facility. An Egyptian national, Dr. Sherif is a highly respected and experienced economist and manager with more 28 years of experience within the African Development Bank and the World Bank, spanning strategic, operational and technical expertise in development and development finance. He has deep knowledge and extensive experience in project development, portfolio management and regional operations management. Prior to joining the African Development Bank, Dr. Sherif was the World Bank’s Chief Financial/Administrative Officer for the Africa Region. Under his leadership, the Africa Region doubled its volume of annual lending from under $4 billion to over $8 billion. Dr. Sherif helped to create the Regional Integration Department in Africa for the World Bank and was responsible for strategic planning and policy development across the World Bank’s operations in Africa, and brings along wide experience in managing operations in Middle East, North Africa, South and East Asia. Dr. Sherif studied Economics and Public Policy, earning his Bachelor’s (1981) and Master’s degree in Economics (1983) and a second Master’s degree in Political Science from the American University of Cairo (1989), and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from Boston University in 1986.

HE Janez Lenarcic

European Commissioner For Crisis Management | United Arab Emirates

2019- European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Brussels 2016-2019 Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the EU, Brussels 2014-2016 State Secretary for European and Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister 2008-2014 Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) 2006 - 2008 State Secretary for European Affairs, Ljubljana 2003-2006 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the OSCE, Vienna; Chairman of the Permanent Council, 2005 2002-2003 State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister of Slovenia 2001 Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister of Slovenia 2000 Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, MFA 1996-1999 First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations, New York 1994-1996 Third Secretary, Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations, New York 1993-1994 Department for Multilateral Relations, MFA, Ljubljana 1992 Entered the diplomatic service, MFA, Ljubljana Professional experience (highlights):  Representative of the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the European Parliament (2008)  Head of the Working Group for the preparation of the Slovenian EU Presidency (2006-2007);  Representative of the Prime Minister for the reform of the EU Treaties (2007);  Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OSCE (2005);  Alternate Member of the Convention on the Future of the European Union, Brussels (2002-2003);  Alternate Representative of Slovenia in the UN Security Council (1998-1999);  Member of the Delegation of the Republic of Slovenia to the UN General Assembly (1994-1999).

HE Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouie

Speaking on Behalf of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President, United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Authority | United Arab Emirates

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Red Crescent

HE Aisha Muhammadu Buhari

First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria | Nigeria

Her Excellency Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari is the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who was inaugurated on May 29, 2015. Her twenty-nine years of marriage to the former Head of State is blessed with five children and two grandchildren. She hails from Adamawa State, North-Eastern Region of Nigeria. Her grandfather Alhaji Mahmoud Ribadu, who was a prominent politician and Nigeria’s first Minister of Defence. Mrs. Buhari has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies (MIASS) from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Public Administration from Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma. Prior to acquiring her higher degrees, Mrs. Buhari pursued a career in Beauty and fashion and obtained a Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom and specialized in Permanent Make-up, Mesotherapy and Micro-dermabrasion, as well as a Certificate from a French beauty school, Academie Esthetique in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Japanese Gold Facial and Towel-folding Techniques. She is the Founder/Chief Executive Officer CEO) of Hanzy Spa and Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute, Kaduna and Abuja. She served as a Resource Person for the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, and has also participated in curriculum development for the NBTE. In her almost fifteen years in the beauty industry, she has trained, mentored and supported hundreds of Nigerians. She is an advocate of Women and Girl-child education. She is a mother of five children with two grandchildren. Her life philosophy is: If there is no corruption in governance and public life, there would be enough resources in any nation to meet the important needs of the common people, especially women and youth.

HE Gerhard Putman-Cramer

Director, DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board (DISAB) | Switzerland

Former member of the Advisory Expert Committee on International Operations of the Swiss Red Cross; former Senior Associate of the Global Humanitarian Forum, and former member of the Board of the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva. Ambassador Putman-Cramer has been active in a variety of international fora these last few years, in his capacity as Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the United Nations in Geneva, providing support to a variety of initiatives undertaken by – or aimed at – PAM member states. This has involved developing and applying various aspects of parliamentary diplomacy, often as input complementary to actions undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations. As Director of DIHAD’s International Scientific Advisory Board, Amb. Putman-Cramer has put together and overseen the Conference Programme of the annual DIHAD events, this since its beginning in 2003. The last Conference (12-14 March 2019) had as its theme: ‘’People on the Move’’ (www.dihad.org). From 1975 until 2009 Amb. Putman-Cramer was with the United Nations, initially with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and subsequently with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA/OCHA). He served in New York (on 3 separate occasions), in Geneva (also on 3 separate occasions) and in a variety of field locations (including 2 years in Malaysia and 3 years in Madagascar). The last 14 years of his UN career saw him in the position of Chief of OCHA’s Emergency Services (concurrently appointed as Deputy Director, OCHA Geneva), during which time he created and developed a number of effective international response mechanisms and instruments (e.g the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team – UNDAC – and the Civil/Military Coordination concept ) while also reinforcing, together with the concerned authorities in disaster-prone countries, essential response capacities at the community, national and regional levels. During this period also, he led a large number of emergency/disaster response missions to, inter alia, Iraq (in the years 1991-94 and in 2003, as Area Coordinator for the Centre Region), the Caucasus, Tajikistan, Pakistan (the 2005 earthquake), Turkey, Mongolia, Thailand and Indonesia (also in the context of the South-East Asia Tsunami). Amb. Putman-Cramer has a ‘’Diplôme Universitaire en Santé Humanitaire’’ from the University Claude-Bernard in Lyon, a Post-Graduate Diploma (Economics, International Relations and International Law) from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, a Post-Graduate Diploma (Economic Development) from the Polytechnic of North London and a B.A. (Hons.) in Literature from Bedford College, University of London.

HE Patrick Youssef

Regional Director for Africa, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) | United Arab Emirates

Patrick Youssef joined the ICRC in 2005 and completed different missions in Sudan, Chad, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Between 2010 & 2013, he was the deputy head of operations for the Near and Middle East covering Yemen, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Mr. Youssef was the Head of the delegation in Iraq (Baghdad) for more than 2 years, before taking the role of Deputy Regional Director for Africa in January 2016, where he managed ICRC operations in the Maghreb, the Sahel region, the Lake Chad basin and West Africa. He is currently the Regional Director for Africa. In addition to his field experience, Mr. Youssef worked on specific topics related to the respect of International Humanitarian Law such as the treatment and judicial guarantees of persons deprived of freedom, the recruitment of children in armed forces and Transitional Justice. In January 2016, he was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. He sits in the International Council of Advisors of Global Dignity. Prior to joining the ICRC, Mr Youssef worked in the private sector in Lebanon & the Levant. Born in 1978, Patrick Youssef has a bachelor’s degree in public law, a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Strategic Negotiations from Paris Sud XI, an LLM in International Law in armed conflicts from Geneva University and a certificate of completion of an Executive Education on Global Leadership and Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School.

Mr. Mohammed Abdiker

Regional Director For East and the Horn of Africa, International Organization for Migration (IOM) | South Africa

Mohammed Abdiker assumed his role as Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa at International Organization for Migration in Nairobi, Kenya on 1 August 2019. As the Regional Director, Mohammed reports directly to the Director General and represents the Director General vis-à-vis institutions of a regional character within and outside the United Nations systems. He liaises closely with Departmental Directors and IOM’s Senior Regional Adviser for Africa and is a member of IOM’s global Policy Coordination Committee. Mohammed directs and supervises the Heads of IOM’s Country Offices in the region. He leads the Organization’s formulation, promotion and implementation of strategic responses to migration issues and trends in support of Member States and migrants in the region. IOM’s Regional Office for the East and Horn of Africa covers Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Mohammed brings a wealth of experience to the East and Horn of Africa Region, with over 19 years of experience on a range of migration issues in crisis and post crisis settings. Most recently, Mohammed led IOM’s world-wide response to migration crises as the Director of Operations and Emergencies at Headquarters in Geneva for the past 9 years. Under his leadership, the Organization saw a major expansion both in scope and reach of its programmes, covering humanitarian, transition and recovery, and resettlement portfolios, as well as support for land, property and reparations and other dimensions of transitional justice. Mohammed oversaw advances of IOM’s policy and technical expertise, through the introduction of new frameworks to guide its field interventions, to navigate and respond to the evolving nature of crises and to global commitments. He began his rich professional career with IOM in 1996, working on refugee resettlement and cultural orientation programmes in Kenya and has served as Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka (2007- 2010) and the Chief of Mission in Zimbabwe (2003-2007); as well as covering the return and resettlement of refugees for IOM offices in Ethiopia, Kenya, and West Africa. He has also focused extensively on IOM’s Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration programming. Mohammed is based with his family in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ms. Ann Encontre

Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ethiopia | Ethiopia

Ms. Ann Encontre assumed her functions as the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ethiopia on 3 October 2019. Prior to her arrival, Ms. Encontre was the Regional Representative of UNHCR based in Kinshasa, covering the DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo and São Tomé e Príncipe. At the same time, she was the Regional Refugee Coordinator for the DRC Refugee Situation. Hailing from Guyana, Ms. Encontre has a background in law, and has been working with UNHCR for over 25 years. Prior to joining the UNHCR’s Regional Office in Kinshasa, Ms. Encontre was Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at UNHCR’s Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Before that appointment, she served as UNHCR Representative in Cote d’Ivoire and Djibouti, as well as UNHCR Head of Sub-Office in Farchana, Chad, and Juba, South Sudan (then Sudan). Ms. Encontre has held protection, external relations and resource mobilization functions at UNHCR Headquarters, and in field locations in Angola, Russia, Sierra Leone, and Yemen, including emergency missions. Before joining the UN, Ms. Encontre held various public and private sector legal roles in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and in Switzerland. She worked as Supervisor of Elections, Registrar of the High Court and Registrar of International Business Companies with the Government of the BVI; she worked with a law firm in Geneva; and later with UNCTAD and ILO.

Dr. Nathalie Ndongo-She

UN Resident Coordinator, Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini | Swaziland

Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh has been serving as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Eswatini since December 2018. She was previously the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ms. Ndongo-Seh is a former Attorney-at-Law, who started her career with the United Nations in 2000 in East Timor as a Legal Officer. Over the past 19 years, she has accumulated a wide-ranging United Nations peacekeeping and political experience in Afghanistan, Liberia, Israel, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia. She has worked in the fields of peace and security; justice and rule-of-law; governance; partnerships building; institution-building; resource mobilization; ethics, conduct and discipline; and management. Ms. Ndongo-Seh began her international career in the private sector in France, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. She holds a Bachelor’sDegree in Commercial Law; a Master’s Degree in International Law; and a postgraduate Degree in International Economic Law, all obtained from Pantheon-La Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She is the mother of Alexia-Raphaelle and Jayden Preston.

HE Elhadj As Sy

Chairman of the Board, The Kofi Annan Foundation; Former Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) | United Arab Emirates

Elhadj As Sy is the Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation Board, and Co-chair of the WHO/World Bank Global Pandemic Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB). In addition to these functions, Mr. Sy is also a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Climate Adaptation, Governor at the Wellcome Trust, and a member of the Governing Board of Interpeace as well as numerous other boards and organizations. Mr. Sy has extensive experience in leadership roles in the humanitarian, health, environment, development sectors, and has previously served as the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) IFRC ‐ the world’s largest humanitarian network. Prior to this appointment, he served at a senior level with UNICEF, UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other agencies for more than 25 years. Mr. Sy was UNICEF’s Director of Partnerships and Resource Development in New York. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and Global Emergency Coordinator for the Horn of Africa. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Sy was Director, HIV/AIDS Practice with the United Nations Development Programme in New York. Before that, he worked with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as its Africa Regional Director and later as Director of Operational Partnerships and Country Support in Geneva. Mr. Sy has also held the position of UNAIDS Representative in New York and Director of the New York Liaison Office. From 1988 to 1997, he served as Director of Health and Development Programmes with Environment and Development Action in the Third World in Dakar, Senegal. Mr. Sy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Human Sciences from the University of Dakar. He then pursued Master’s studies in Arts and Germanistik at the University of Graz, and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He was also awarded a post graduate diploma in Education from the École normale supérieure in Dakar. He speaks English, French and German and is a national of Senegal

HE Ovais Sarmad

Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Climate Change Secretariat, Bonn | United Arab Emirates

Mr. Ovais Sarmad joined the United Nations Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) on 1 September 2017. Mr. Sarmad supports the Executive Secretary in managing the operations of UNFCCC secretariat and its staff and organizational development, advising on a range of issues relating to the inter-governmental affairs and strategic planning. Previously he served as Chief of Staff/Chef de Cabinet at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva. Mr. Sarmad worked in several management and policy capacities in IOM over a period of 27 years. Prior to IOM, he worked in the private and public sectors in London, where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (GCMA). He graduated from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, as a Bachelor of Commerce. He is married to a Spanish national and has two boys.

HE Nawal Al Hosany

Permanent Representative of the UAE to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) | United Arab Emirates

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany is the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Dr Al-Hosany’s career spans business and academia, both in the UAE and internationally. Dr. Al-Hosany served as the Deputy Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA). Prior to this, she was the Executive Director of Sustainability at Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, and the Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, the UAE’s annual global awards for renewable energy and sustainability. Highly regarded for her expert counsel, she has been invited to sit on several boards and intergovernmental bodies including the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the advisory board of the Payne Institute in Colorado School of Mines and serves as advisory Panel for the Momentum for Change initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Her professional achievements have been widely acknowledged through prestigious awards. In July 2018, Dr Al-Hosany was presented the “Doctor of letters Honoris Causa” from Keele University in the UK in recognition for her achievements in the field of sustainability. Dr Al-Hosany also received the “Arab Woman Award” and the “Emirates Business Women Award”. She graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the UAE University in 1992 and obtained her PhD from Newcastle University in the UK in 2002. Dr Al-Hosany is also credited as one of the first two Emirati women to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres above sea-level.

Ms. Clare Dalton

Head of Mission, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) UAE | United Arab Emirates

Ms. Dalton is currently the ICRC's Head of Mission in the United Arab Emirates, a role she just started after spending four years at the ICRC’s Headquarters in Geneva as the Head of Humanitarian Diplomacy, ensuring the ICRC’s diplomacy in all its components revolve around its global policy and humanitarian diplomacy objectives. From 2013-2016, she was the ICRC's Humanitarian Action Advisor working on humanitarian policies alongside the United Nations in Geneva. She later took on the role of overseeing the work of the ICRC’s New York Delegation. Prior to this, Clare spent several years in the field with the ICRC occupying a variety of posts amid different contexts, including Angola, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal and Sudan. She has also worked with the British Red Cross and the United Nations Development Program. Clare has a BA in Anthropology from University College London and an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS.

Dr. Mohamed Abou Nar

Chief Organizational Growth Officer, Pathfinder International, Washington D.C. | Egypt

Mohamed Abou Nar has more than 25 years of experience in international development, quality management, project design, implementation, and evaluation. Since May 2007, he has served as Pathfinder International country representative in Egypt; since 2011, he was also the senior advisor for systems strengthening. In August 1st, he became Senior Program Director with Pathfinder International. In June 2017, Mohamed was appointed Chief Programs and & Impact Officer overseeing Pathfinder International global programs. Currently, Mohamed is Pathfinder Chief Organizational Growth Officer. Mohamed has extensive experience in leading and managing international development operations and projects in human and institutional capacity development programs in adult education, economic support, and health systems strengthening. He is certified as a quality management systems’ lead auditor and as an assessor by the European Foundation for Quality Management. Mohamed has a DBA in transformational leadership and systems strengthening, an MBA in projects planning scheduling and cost control, a MSc. in Total Quality Management and a BSc. in civil engineering .

Dr. Robert Kweyunga Kwesiga

Secretary-General, Uganda Red Cross Society | Kenya

Robert Kweyunga Kwesiga is a graduate from Makerere University of Kampala with a Masters Degree in Social Sector Planning and Management. Currently, he is persuing a PHD at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare and writing a thesis “The Paradigm shift in Resource Mobilisation for Humanitarian work in Africa”. He holds post Graduate Diplomas in Project Planning and Management at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare and Education at Makerere University, Kampala. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Economics at Makerere University Kampala. After receiving his Education, Robert has taken on several leadership positions at both local and international levels. He has vast experience in working in a multi-cultural setting and people management skills. He is a multi-tasker and has passion for service, given an opportunity, Robert takes full responsibility and gets it done efficiently. He has significant experience in representation, policy formulation, lobbying and with proven ability to create strategic partnerships and has special bias in Fundraising for Humanity. His work with the International body of the Red Cross/Crescent family has earned him excellent ability to manage humanitarian work and has a wealth of experience for volunteerism. Currently, Robert is the Secretary General at Uganda Red Cross Society, a position he has held since March 2015. Before that, he had served as Managing Partner, Humanitarian Strategic Consult Limited from January 2014 – February 2015. He was Head of Region, Southern Africa - Danish Red Cross, Harare, Zimbabwe from September 2007 – December 2013. He was also Deputy Head of Region/Regional Programmes Coordinator – the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Southern Africa Region (IFRC) Harare, Zimbabwe from May 2005 – August 2007. From July 1999 – May 2005, he was the Secretary General Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), a position he took on after having been the Deputy Secretary General, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) from January 1998 – June 1999. Previously, he had served as the Project Manager for a UNDP funded project at Uganda Red Cross Society from January 1996 to December 1997 and earlier on, he had been the Head of the HIV/AIDS control programme for Uganda Red Cross Society from January 1994 – December 1995. In January 1991 – December 1993, he was appointed as a Programme Officer for Uganda Red Cross Society after resigning as an Economist with Uganda Government which he took over from September 1989 – December 1990. Given that work background, Robert has served on several Boards as a leader. From 2003-2005, he served as Chairman, AIDS Information Centre Board of Trustees (a National Non-Governmental Organisation. He also served President, East African Red Cross Network (RCNET) from 1999 – 2005. In 2002-2005, he was a Board Member, Uganda Road Safety Council. He also served as a Task Force Member of the Uganda National Disaster Management Advisory Committee from 1999 – 2005. From 2001 – 2005, Robert was appointed Board Member for Uganda Blood Transfusion Services. Also served as a Board Member for Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism Board, Uganda from 2004 – 2005. From 2003-2005, he was a Member of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Secretary Generals Advisory Group and in which he developed the Federation Development Strategy 2010. He also served as a Member of the Danish Red Cross Task Force that developed the Danish Red Cross Partnership Strategy and the International Development Strategy 2011 – 2014. Besides work, Robert is a proud father of three children and is happily married to Hilda. He lives a good work life balance and is dedicated to his family and career. He loves playing Golf and is a Member of the Uganda Gold Club, a social group that is passionate about people’s growth and development.

HE Dr. Tariq Al Gurg

Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, Dubai Cares | United Arab Emirates

Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, Dubai Cares

Mr. Yannick Du Pont

Director, “SPARK”, Amsterdam | Netherlands

Founder and director of SPARK, Yannick has been working in the field of higher education & economic development in post-conflict countries since 1994. With an MA in International Relations and Sociology from the University of Amsterdam, Yannick worked for the Netherlands Minister of Development Cooperation from 1996 to 1997. Later with the Dutch PAX; and the Development think-tank of the Dutch Labor Party, the Evert Vermeer Foundation, Yannick was engaged as researcher for the Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael” to evaluate the performance of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000/2001). SPARK has programmes to support growth oriented SMEs and facilitate youth job creation in 17 fragile States in primarily East and West Africa, North Africa & Somalia and the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Syria and Yemen). SPARK is implementing large scale programmes providing access to higher (vocational) education and jobs to refugees and host communities, particularly in the MENA region. Next to his work at Spark, Yannick du Pont also serves on the Board of the Max van der Stoel Foundation (Amsterdam) and Advisory Board of the Centre of Theory of Change (New York).

Dr. Luay Shabaneh

Regional Director for the Arab States and North Africa, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) | United Arab Emirates

Luay Shabaneh is the current Arab States Regional Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, assuming his duties since May 2016. A native of Palestine, he held a number of high-profile national and international public service positions over the last two decades - within the UN System, in government and in the multilateral arena - in the areas of official statistics, population census, population and development, monitoring and evaluation, programme management and advocacy. He began his professional career at the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) where he served from 1994 to 2005, and was appointed as the second president of PCBS. He served as Chief Statistician of Palestine from 2005 until he began his career with the United Nations in 2009 serving first with the UNDP/UNCT and later with the UNFPA in Iraq. In 2015 he joined the UNFPA Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo as the Regional Adviser for Population Data and Policies in ASRO. Within the Arab region, he served as chair or board member in several regional professional and research committees such as the Chair of the Statistical Committee of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Chair of the Arab Regional Statistical Forum, and as board member in the following: the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics, the MENA Health Policy Forum, the Palestine Economic Research Institute and the Arab Women Center for Training and Research. Luay holds a PhD in Applied Social Statistics from Lancaster University, UK, a Master’s Degree in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Jordan and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Baghdad University.

Mr. Charles Allan Kwenin

Regional Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Southern Africa | United Arab Emirates

Charles Allan Kwenin is the Regional Director for Southern Africa of the UN Migration Agency – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) based in Pretoria, South Africa since October, 2017. Mr. Kwenin also serves as the Chair of the UN Regional Directors for Eastern and Southern Africa as well as the Chair for the UN Network on Migration for Eastern and Southern Africa. He also chairs the Covid-19 Task Team of SADC Ambassadors based in South Africa. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Kwenin served as the IOM Senior Regional Advisor for Africa (SSA) in the Office of the IOM Director General at the IOM Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from September 2009 until August, 2017; where he provided strategic guidance and advice on both policy and operational issues on international migration in Africa to the African Permanent Missions in Geneva, IOM Regional and Country Offices in Africa. Mr. Kwenin has been very instrumental and spearheaded the launching the IGAD Regional Consultative Process (MiDIGAD), the Migration Dialogue for Central Africa (MIDCAS), the Migration Dialogue for COMESA (MIDCOM) and the Migration Dialogue for the Indian Ocean Commission (MiDIOCC). In coordination with the African Union and the RECs, Mr. Kwenin has been one of the Key Architects of the Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM); a platform for dialogue on migration to promote inter-state dialogue and intra-regional cooperation on migration. PAFoM convenes all the African Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs), Member States, Civil Society, Private Sector, Academia and the Development Partners for exchanged of information and experience for common understanding and policy coherence on migration in Africa. Mr. Kwenin served in Addis Ababa from 2004-2009 as the IOM Chief of Mission to Ethiopia and the IOM Representative to the African Union Commission, UNECA and IGAD where he was very instrumental in drafting, advocacy and adoption of various continental and Regional migration policy documents including; the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa, the African Common Position on Migration and Development, the Ouagadougou Plan of action to combat trafficking in human beings especially women and children, the AU Diaspora Declaration and many others with active engagement with the African Diaspora on issues related to both policy guidelines and frameworks for migrant remittances. In previous capacities, Mr. Kwenin served as the IOM Regional Head of Programmes for East and Central Africa at the IOM Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya from 2001 – 2004. He also served as the IOM Chief of Mission in Uganda from 1996-2001; and IOM Programme and Liaison Officer (EU & ACP) in Brussels from 1992 – 1996. Prior to joining IOM in 1992, Mr. Kwenin worked as Economic Planning Office for the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning in Ghana and a Teaching Assistant at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Mr. Kwenin holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and Management and Post-graduate Diploma in Development Policy from the State University of Antwerp, Belgium. He holds a Bachelors Degree (B.Sc-Hons) in Development Planning from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Prof. Gibril Faal

OBE, JP, Director GK Partners; Visiting Professor Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics | United Arab Emirates

Professor Gibril Faal is a multi-disciplinary business and development executive. He is the co-founder and director of GK Partners specialising in socially responsible business models, sustainable development and programme implementation. He is the first visiting professor in practice at the Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics (LSE), vice chair of Bond (UK), and council member of Carnegie African Diaspora Program (New York). Gibril is a former magistrate, former chairman of AFFORD-UK, and the founding director of ADEPT (Brussels). He has worked as a technical expert with the United Nations, World Bank, University of Oxford, governments of Germany, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and other institutions across the world. He served as GFMD civil society co-chair (2014) and grand rapporteur (2017), and overarching expert for the Global Compact for Migration. He has addressed the UN General Assembly several times and been appointed to various boards by UK government ministers. Gibril has previously served as special adviser to the government of Moldova, and is the founder and director of the Migration and Sustainable Development in The Gambia (MSDG) project. In 2014, Gibril was appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to international development.

HE Ahunna Eziakonwa

Assistant Secretary-General; Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP | USA

Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa is a leading development and humanitarian specialist with over 20 years’ experience in the United Nations, culminating in her 2018 appointment by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to serve as UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA), at the rank of Assistant Secretary-General. She leads an over 1-billion-dollar development programme for Sub Saharan Africa, and a team in 46 countries supporting African Governments to remove structural impediments to sustainable development. Her vision for Africa is captured in the document: “Africa’s Promise: The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa” which applies the opportunity lens to Africa’s development trajectory. RBA’s regional and country teams are now working with global and regional partners, to rapidly rejuvenate programmes. She has established innovative initiatives such as the Africa Influencers for Development (AI4D) – a powerful coalition of leaders in business, academia & the arts steering Africa’s development agenda to ensure a future out of dependency and beyond aid by seeing that Africa’s Money works for African Development. She created the UNDP-Tony Elumelu Foundation Partnership to empower 100,000 youth in Africa. Her brainchild, the Africa Young Women Leaders – a joint initiative with the African Union Commission, unleashed an outstanding corp of women leaders who are being nurtured across UNDP to drive change in Africa. Ms. Eziakonwa provides technical leadership to both the UNDP Africa and the UN system-wide socioeconomic response and recovery on COVID 19 in Africa. Further, she (Co) Chairs the UN Development Group in Africa – a body of Agency, Funds and Programmes and UN entities responsible for transforming the Secretary General’s vision of UN reform into action. This entails optimizing regional assets to offer a stronger value proposition to Africa. Ms. Eziakonwa’s astute political acumen, communication skills and peace-building attributes advanced UN ideals supporting governments to navigate the pursuit of development amidst complex political and economic crises. This was evident during the over 10 years in which she led UN Country Teams in various nations as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative). In Ethiopia, she oversaw UN support for the transition to a new political dispensation including convening the first ever Conference on Peace and Reconciliation at the height of political tension in 2016. Ms. Eziakonwa proffered lasting solutions to break cycles of humanitarian emergencies in Ethiopia’s lowlands through comprehensive strategies. In Uganda, she led the UN effort at political dialogue – deepening democratic culture and strengthening emphasis on governance. The documentary film she initiated, commissioned, and guided on production: “A Film for Northern Uganda”; increased visibility and support for foreign investment in the region. It was selected for several international festivals and nominated for Best Feature Documentary, Best Cinematography and Best Soundtrack at The African Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. In Lesotho, she oversaw the political mediation that led to a peaceful transition of power in 2012, in an environment of complexity and volatility; and delivered impact-driven development programming on local government, disaster preparedness and HIV/AIDS. As Chief of Africa at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ms. Eziakonwa oversaw 15 operations covering West, East and Central Africa on UN system response to natural disasters and complex emergencies and transitions from relief to recovery. Other senior positions held in the field were in Liberia (Head of Office a.i) and Sierra Leone (Deputy Chief). Before joining the UN, she held senior positions in civil society organizations advocating for the rights of women and youth.

HE Mohamed Abdi Affey

UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa | South Africa

Ambassador Mohamed Abdi Affey was appointed UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa in October 2018. This appointment reflects political developments in the region, including the agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, as well as other States in the region, which have the potential for progress towards finding solutions for the over 1.5 million refugees in the Horn of Africa. For two years before that (2016-2017), Ambassador Affey acted as the UNHCR Special Envoy for the Somalia situation, where he worked closely with the regional body IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) to develop and implement the Nairobi Declaration and Plan of Action. As Special Envoy, Ambassador Affey’s role includes advocating for continued international protection and increased inclusion of refugees in the countries they reside in, as well as for more global investment in the region. He engages directly with refugees, regional governments and political institutions, as well as the greater international community and private sector. The Special Envoy brings with him extensive regional experience, having served as the Special Envoy to Somalia for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Previously he held senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, serving as Kenya’s Deputy Minister and later as Kenya’s Ambassador to Somalia. From March 2008 to February 2013, as a Member of Parliament in the Kenya National Assembly, Ambassador Affey moved several assembly resolutions supporting the stabilization of Somalia by the African Union at the African, Caribbean, Pacific/European Union (ACP/EU) joint parliamentary assembly. In 2007 Ambassador Affey was awarded the Moran of Burning Spear (MBS) by the president of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki. Born in Kenya, Ambassador Affey graduated from the University of Nairobi with a master’s degree in International Relations and a major in International Conflict Management.

Mr. Claus Sorensen

Senior Adviser on Resilience, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Norwegian Refugee Council | Denmark

Until 2016 Mr. Sørensen was the Director General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection in the European Commission (ECHO). Before that he held the post as Director General of Communication. He is a career diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. His first posting from 1981 was at the Danish Delegation to the OECD (Paris). In 1988-89 he was trade and finance councilor at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels. In 1990 he moved to the Executive arm in the Commission under the lead of Jacques DELORS and joined the Cabinet of Vice-president Christophersen working on the EURO, relations with Eastern Europe, the Enlargement with Sweden, Austria and Finland as well as Social and Environmental issues. As Sweden became member of the EU in 1995 he joined their first Cabinet and worked on the fight against organized crime, social and labor market issues and the further enlargement of the EU to the East. Between 1999 and 2011, Mr. Sørensen held top management positions within the European Commission, most notably Director for International Environmental issues, Head of Cabinet for the Commissioner for Agriculture and later Head of Cabinet for the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian assistance. He is a board member of NRC, Institut Bioforce, Center for Global Development etc. Mr Sørensen has a Master of Economic Science from Aarhus University and is regularly lecturing at the University of Lund, Kings College and Copenhagen.

Mr. Khaled Khalifa

Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, UNHCR; | United Arab Emirates

Mr. Khaled Khalifa has served as the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council since 2016 and serves as a senior advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees on Islamic philanthropy. He is a professional international expert with 20 years of experience in relief and development and has led humanitarian operations in various settings of natural disasters, complex emergencies and armed conflicts. Khaled has held several senior managerial positions with major international organizations including United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Danish International Development Agency, United States Agency for International Development, and Islamic Relief Worldwide, in a number of countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Libya, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and KSA. Khaled holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of London, an MA degree in English Literature & Humanities from Egypt, and a Project Management Diploma from Aalborg Technical School, Denmark. He is a well-known international trainer in disaster management, and a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC).

Dr. Linda Adhiambo Oucho

Executive Director, African Migration and Development Policy Centre (AMADPOC) | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Linda Adhiambo Oucho is an established migration expert and Executive Director of the African Migration and Development Policy Centre (AMADPOC), a independent research think tank leading in policy-based research on migration and development issues in Eastern Africa and beyond. Dr. Oucho holds a PhD in Ethnic Relations from the University of Warwick, where she specialized in international migration of African Women. She returned to Kenya after 16 years abroad to contribute to research activities in Eastern Africa with the aim of influencing policy change on migration dynamics based on evidence. Since her return, she has conducted research on internal regional migration patterns within Eastern Africa including projects related to poverty, climate change, youth-employment-migration nexus as well as diaspora return migration and reintegration among others. She led her team to develop the first Migration Profile of Kenya (2015) that is used by government to review policy approaches and responses related to migration. In addition, she provides advisory services to other African countries such as Malawi, Uganda and Kenya especially in terms of developing their national migration policies in line with the guiding principles outlined in the African Union, Migration Policy Framework for Africa (2018). Dr. Oucho works in partnership with international institutions including University of Ghana, Open University and University of Uganda among others. She currently works closely with the Government of Kenya, Uganda and Malawi, assisting key stakeholders to understand their migration profiles and supporting efforts to develop policies on migration. She has also undertaken consultancies with a number of international agencies including African Union, IOM, ICMPD, UNDP, GIZ, FAO, IDRC and FES among others. Recently, also facilitates expert workshops sharing her expertise in the East African region and assisting stakeholders to understand the dynamic nature of migration in the region. Furthermore, she serves as an editorial board member for the International Migration Review (IMR) and is a Migration Research and Publishing High Level Advisor for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). She is a member of the Technical Working Group on Counter Trafficking in Kenya and an active member of the National Coordination Mechanism for Migration (NCM) led by the Government of Kenya in partnership with non-state actors.

HE Jutta Urpilainen

European Commissioner for International Partnerships | United Arab Emirates

As European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms Jutta Urpilainen oversees the European Commission’s work on international cooperation and sustainable development. Before joining the Commission, Ms Urpilainen served as a Member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2019. In 2008, she became the first woman leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Finland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. During that time, she became closely involved in development issues, joining the Development Committee of the World Bank Group and IMF and chairing the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. She served as the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation (2017-19) and chaired the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO (2015-18).

Mr. Giuseppe Saba

CEO, International Humanitarian City, Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Appointed as CEO of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City in early March 2017, Giuseppe Saba brings more than 34 years of extensive experience in the humanitarian field with the United Nations and international organizations. Saba is a leading logistics and support services expert. He is the founder of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot Network (UNHRD); In 2000, he set up under the UN World Food Programme (WFP) the first UNHRD in Brindisi, south-east of Italy, as a consortium of UN Agencies and international humanitarian organizations, including governmental and non-governmental entities. Following the lessons learned from the emergency response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, he developed and expanded UNHRD into the current network by opening hubs and negotiating agreements with various hosting governments in Dubai, Malaysia, Ghana, Spain and Panama. As a result of his efforts, UNHRD became one of the largest international humanitarian platforms of 90 partners approximately operating in emergency preparedness and response. Saba is an Italian citizen, born in 1951 in Sardinia. He is married and has two daughters. Since his retirement from the UN-WFP in 2013, he has served as a consultant to various humanitarian agencies including the Norwegian Refugee Council and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre).

Mr. Mati Goldstein

Director, Magen Division; Commander Zaka Int’l Rescue Unit Tac-Med, Israel | Israel

Mati Goldstein Director, Magen Division, Commander ZAKA International Rescue Unit TAC-MED Professional Crisis Management Plan Instructor (PCMI) Professional Crisis Management Team Instructor (PCMTI) Married with five children, 42 years old, lives in Mevo Horon. In 2003 I established the Magen Division at the request of ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav. Since then, I have devoted the majority of my time to training communities, organizations and countries around the world in emergency preparedness, with the focus on two main areas: terror attacks and natural disasters. To date, close to fifty Jewish communities and dozens of organizations are able to provide an operational answer in their area to a mass casualty incident, using the knowledge and tools that I have provided. They can provide the local, immediate response to an incident in their particular region or city. During this time, I served as the head of rescue delegations to a variety of global natural disasters, including, among others, Haiti, Japan, Philippines, Nepal and, most recently, the dam collapse in Brazil as well as several terror attacks including Toulouse, Burgas, Paris, Belgium and others. Our aim is to export this knowledge to the relevant local bodies in order that they can provide a response in saving lives, honoring the dead and managing crisis situations in their own communities. The Magen Division has received many prizes and certificates of appreciation from leaders around the world and the ZAKA International Rescue Unit is recognized by the United Nations as a consulting status humanitarian volunteer organization.

Dr. Mukesh Kapila

Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester; Former Under Secretary-General, IFRC and Founder, Defeat-NCD Partnership, Geneva | Switzerland

Mukesh Kapila is Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester. He has extensive experience in global health, humanitarian affairs, conflict and security issues, international development, human rights and diplomacy, as well as social entrepreneurship. He has qualifications in medicine, public health, and development from the Universities of Oxford and London. Professor Kapila has served in senior leadership functions at the UK Government Department for International Development, and at the United Nations, World Health Organization, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He was also Special Adviser to the first-ever UN World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. He has advised many multilateral institutions including the World Bank and several UN agencies, as well as international NGOs. He has served on several Boards, including as Chair of Minority Rights Group International, and of Nonviolent Peaceforce which was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016. His other roles have included Founder CEO of the Defeat-NCD Partnership. Currently he is developing a new Digital Global Health Initiative. His awards include a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II, the Global Citizenship Award of the Institute for Global Leadership, the “I Witness!” award for human rights, and a special resolution of the California State Legislature for “lifetime achievements and meritorious service”. His memoir “Against a Tide of Evil” was shortlisted for the 2013 Best Non-Fiction Book award. His forthcoming book is entitled “Not a Stranger to Kindness”.

Dr. Asha Mohammed

Secretary-General, Kenya Red Cross Society, Nairobi | Kenya

Dr Asha Mohammed is the Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross Society. She has over 25 years diverse experience working within Humanitarian and Government institutions. She has served in different capacities within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement including ; Movement Partnerships Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Geneva, Head of Operations for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Africa Zone office in Johannesburg, Head of Eastern Africa zone office in Nairobi and Deputy Secretary General and Head of Programmes in Kenya Red Cross, among others. Dr. Asha also served as Chair of the IFRC Health Commission at global level and a chair of the RCRC Pan African Coordination Team that is responsible for monitoring of commitments made by African National Societies. Before her role in the Red Cross she served in various capacities in the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Control Council in Kenya. Dr Asha has been instrumental in reshaping the strategic direction and growth of the KRCS Programming and institutional strengthening especially in building strong Red Cross branches as the fundamental units of delivering the services of the National Society. She is passionate about creating vibrant, authentic, and sustainable communities. She has led integrated and complex humanitarian and development programmes responding to community needs while exhibiting a flair of innovation, inclusion of marginalized groups, environmental sensitivity and emerging issues. She strongly believes that the most successful projects involve meaningful public engagement ensuring community voices are heard. She believes in the power of women and young people. She holds a Master’s degree in International Executive Management, a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery.

Prof. Mehari Taddele Maru

Professor, School of Transnational Governance and Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy | United Arab Emirates

Dr Mehari Taddele Maru is currently Part-time Professor at the School of Transnational Governance and Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. A graduate of Harvard and Oxford universities, he holds fellowships in prestigious academic programmes at various think-tanks and institutions of higher learning. With more than 20 years of management and professional working experience in multilateral bodies, he combines research excellence with a deep knowledge of multilateral systems. Dr Mehari member of the Technical Committee of the Tana High-Level Security Forum (modelled on, and uniquely related to the Munich Security Forum for Africa), and he worked with the African Union Commission (AUC), the Institute for Security Studies, and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University. Dr Mehari drafted various African Union and IGAD policy blueprints on humanitarian effectiveness and governance, migration and development, and peace and security. These include the AU Border Governance Strategy; the Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness; the Common African Position on Migration and Development; Framework for AU Cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (AU-RECs); IGAD State of the Region Report, the IGAD Peace and Security Strategy 2020, and the State of Peace and Security in IGAD, and IGAD Free Movement Protocol among many others.

Dr. Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi

Principal Adviser, Knowledge Management Associates (Austria); Former Principal Adviser to the Director-General, UNIDO | Austria

Dr. Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi is a sustainable development expert, with over 30 years of experience in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna, Austria, where he served in various capacities and eventually retired as the principal adviser to the Director General of UNIDO. He has to his credit several degrees, with distinctions. He has authored several journal articles, books and reports, highlighting the changing patterns of sustainable development, with a focus on economic efficiency, ecological compliance and social inclusion. His recent books include Myths and Realities of East Asian Model of Development, India’s Time, Rethinking Development Realities, Intervene to Industrialise, and The Poverty of Economic Thinking. A book on his personal life, penned by him, is titled In Joy and Sorrow. Forthcoming books co-authored by him include Positioning Africa in the context of the new industrial revolution, and Myths and Realities of Indian Economy.. He won several awards: Gold Medal from St. Joseph’s College, for being the best outgoing student; UNIDO Director DG award for outstanding performance; Life-time achievement award by various organizations; “dynamic Indian of the Millennium”; and a commemorative award for his distinguished contribution to the international community by KG. the Auckland-based Indo-New Zealand Business Association in 2018.

Dr. Caroline Kisia

Executive Director, Action Africa Help International, Nairobi | Kenya

Caroline Kisia is Executive Director of Action Africa Help International (AAH-I). She is a Physician from Kenya, with a passion for working with disadvantaged communities. She has worked in remote rural communities, many of them conflict-affected. With experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, Caroline has played a key leadership role in health, humanitarian, and development matters in Eastern Africa, including working with large refugee populations and their hosting communities. She currently oversees AAH-I’s humanitarian and development programs in South Sudan, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia. Caroline is a graduate of the International Masters in Health Management and Leadership (IMHL) from McGill University, and holds another Masters degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Throughout her career, Caroline has played an integral role in organizational management and leadership, strategy formulation, institutional development, program planning and delivery, knowledge and innovation management, capacity building, and health research.

Dr. Jakkie Cilliers

Head, African Futures and Innovation, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria | South Africa

Dr. Jakkie Cilliers is the founder of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), a regional think- and do-tank with offices in Dakar, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Pretoria. After stepping down as executive director in 2015 he now serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute and head of the African Futures and Innovation programme at the Pretoria office of the ISS. He is an Extraordinary Professor in the Centre of Human Rights and the Department of Political Sciences, Faculty Humanities at the University of Pretoria and a well-known author and analyst. Dr Cilliers has presented numerous papers at conferences and seminars. He serves on the editorial boards of the South African Journal of International Affairs and GLOBAL TRENDS.Analysis in Germany. His interests relate to big picture analysis and issues around the long-term future of South Africa and Africa. His most recent book is Africa First! Igniting a growth revolution (www.africafirst.info).

Mr. Amin Awad

Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States of America | USA

Amin Awad is currently engaged as a fellow at Harvard University on issues related to vital sectors and drivers for economic and social change in fragile states and states in transition. Prior to this, Mr. Awad served in dual capacity as United Nations Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Syria and Iraq Situations, and as Director of the Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. In this capacity, he led the UN Refugee Agency’s humanitarian response in the Middle East and North Africa. He coordinated over 9,000 staff and 270 organizations, in close partnership with the respective governments, delivering protection and humanitarian aid to some 20 million displaced persons in the region and in the context of some of the most severe displacement crises of the century. Prior to this, he also worked extensively in the Middle East, including in Yemen during the Somali boat people crisis in 1992, and in Iraq and Jordan, during the first Gulf War in 1990-1991. He again worked in the capacity of Regional Coordinator for the Iraq crisis during the second Gulf War in 2003.

Mr. Sean Granville-Ross

Regional Director for Africa, Mercy Corps | United Arab Emirates

Sean Granville-Ross is the Regional Director for Mercy Corps covering Africa. He is a specialist in economic development and a seasoned field leader with 20 years of experience working in the private and non-profit sectors. Granville-Ross has been with Mercy Corps for nineteen years. He first worked with the agency’s team in Kosovo. He also has served as regional director in East Asia, country director in Mongolia, Indonesia and Uganda. He currently is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Granville-Ross is an economic and agricultural livestock development specialist and a seasoned field leader, with more than 15 years of experience working in both the private and non-profit sectors. Born and raised in Kenya, Mr. Granville-Ross has intimate knowledge of East Africa with specialization in agriculture and livestock production in the tropics. As Regional Director for Mercy Corps, he currently oversees a portfolio of $195 million in complex programming. His guidance and knowledge as Regional Director has helped Mercy Corps advance sustainable and quality agricultural and economic development, pastoralist livelihoods and financial services programs, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation and health interventions, government partnerships and capacity-building across the region. He is fully conversant in all USG, DFID, EC and other donor funding regulations, ensuring program compliance and adherence to policies and procedures. Mr. Granville-Ross brings a global track record in successful program design, monitoring and evaluation and management that encompasses economic and market development projects, and sustainable livelihoods in Africa, the Caribbean, the Balkans, Mongolia and Indonesia. He has specific experience administering multiple, complex subgrants, enhancing and diversifying value chains and working on community mobilization and civil society programming. Mr. Granville-Ross is also a well-respected manager who is able to set goals, delegate responsibilities, enhance communications and successfully foster dynamic, effective working teams that span wide geographic locations. He has effectively built constituencies between government, civic and private sector actors in support of development goals. He is a visionary tactician, able to see the big picture and establish broad strategy while being attentive to individual program needs and constraints. Granville-Ross grew up in Kenya and has worked there as well as in the Dominican Republic, the Balkans, Mongolia and Indonesia. He speaks English, Spanish, Kiswahili and Indonesian. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Newcastle University and a master’s degree in livestock production from the University of Edinburgh.

Ms. Lola Castro

Regional Director for Southern Africa and Indian Ocean States, World Food Programme (WFP) | South Africa

Lola Castro has spent her professional career working in the international humanitarian development field. She joined the United Nations World Food Programme in 1994, and in that time has served as Head of Sub-Office in Mozambique (1994-1996); Sub-Office Coordinator in Rwanda (1996-1998); Emergency Officer in Sudan (1998-2000); Head of Programme in Guatemala (2000-2002); Deputy Country Director in Malawi (2002-2006); Country Director in Georgia (2006-2009) and Armenia (2008-2009); and Representative and Country Director in Mozambique (2009-June 2013), and Representative and Country Director in Pakistan (2013 – 2016), Deputy Regional Director (2016 – 2017), before assuming the position of Southern Africa and Indian Ocean States Regional Director in 2018 to date. Prior to her assignments in Southern Africa and Indian Ocean States, she was Representative and Country Director in Pakistan, a position she held since 2016, where she oversaw an extensive portfolio of work addressing sustainable food and nutrition security. Ms. Castro and her team worked closely with the Government of Pakistan to promote local procurement and sustainable food fortification and to strengthen disaster preparedness and response through capacity development of Pakistan’s disaster management authorities at the federal, provincial and district levels, alongside the construction of a countrywide network of logistics warehouses and Humanitarian Response Facilities. During her time as Representative and Country Director in Mozambique, she oversaw the implementation of the new UN Development Assistance Framework, chaired the Economic Development Results Group and the Humanitarian Country Team Working Group. She worked in close collaboration with the Government of Mozambique on the development of resilience strategies; improving Early Warning Systems and response mechanisms; and advancing productive and social safety nets using innovative technologies like cash. Between 2006 and 2009, Ms. Castro worked as the Representative and Country Director in Georgia and Armenia. In this capacity, she was responsible for WFP’s activities in both countries, focusing on rehabilitating rural infrastructure for sustainable food security, and in Georgia, responding to food security needs resulting from the 2008 South Ossetia conflict. Prior to joining WFP, Ms. Castro worked for UNHCR in Malawi, and as a Trade Advisor and Market Analyst for the Spanish Foreign Service in Cameroon and Nigeria. Ms. Castro is a Spanish national from the Canary Islands. She holds a BSc in Political Science and International Relations from the University Complutense in Madrid, and a Master in Development and Cooperation from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation in Madrid.

Ms. Umra Omar

Founder of Safari Doctors, Lamu, Kenya | Kenya

Umra Omar is from Pate Island in the Lamu archipelago and was raised in Kenya. She went on to earn degrees from two prestigious American universities. After completing graduate school and working in Washington, D.C. Umra decided cubicle life was not for her. She returned to Lamu to explore her purpose and learned about a life-saving medical aid project that had been abandoned because of security concerns. In 2015, she launched Safari Doctors. The following year, Umra was selected a CNN Hero for her work. In 2017, she won an Africa Leaders 4 Change award, featured in Business Daily’s Top40Under40 Women, was nominated for the most influential person of African descent (MIPAD) award, and won the United Nations in Kenya Person of The Year Award. In 2018, Umra became a TedxYouth speaker and delivered the keynote address for the Aurora Dialogues in Armenia. In 2019, she was among three finalists for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award. Umra is also is an Aurora Forum Goodwill Ambassador and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

HE Mbaranga Gasarabwe

Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Minusma and Resident/ Humanitarian Coordinator, Mali | Mali

In May 2015, Ms. Mbaranga Gasarabwe was appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for MINUSMA and Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Mali. In this capacity, she is responsible for the coordination of humanitarian and recovery assistance throughout the country. Ms. Gasarabwe has long experience working in emerging as well as conflict countries. In Mali, she plays the lead role to coordinate humanitarian response. In addition to humanitarian dimension, Ms Gasarabwe is managing a large portfolio of stabilization and recovery, security sector reform., anti-mines management, Justice and corrections as well as Electoral system. Prior to this, she worked as the Assistant Secretary-General for the Department of Safety and Security in New York, managing issues of safety and security for UN offices around the world. Before joining the Secretariat, she served in various capacities with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for over 20 years, amassing extensive experience in international development, humanitarian, peace and security issues. Ms. Gasarabwe served in Mali, Guinea, Djibouti, and Benin as Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative. Across these varied settings, she effectively engaged with governance, development and humanitarian challenges and led efforts to improve democratic governance, implement economic reforms, coordinate humanitarian interventions, advocate for humanitarian principles and facilitate delivery of services to vulnerable and conflict affected populations. In Djibouti, she worked effectively with the Arab League and the African Union counterparts and explored opportunities to further liaise with Arab nations in the Middle East, building solid partnerships with the Islamic Development Bank and Kuwait Fund, among others. She served as Chief, ad interim, of the Central and East African region in UNDP’s New York Headquarters, Regional Bureau for Africa. She managed various issues relating to policy dialogue, reinforcement of government institutions, crisis management and formulation of rehabilitation and recovery frameworks for post-crisis countries in East, Central and West Africa, in close collaboration with the UN Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Political Affairs and the Security Council. Prior to working for the United Nations, Ms Gasarabwe worked as consultant for organizations such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank. Ms. Gasarabwe, a native of Rwanda, holds a Master of Economics from the University of Burundi and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Arthur D. Little School of Management, now known as the Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts/USA.

Dr. Ibrahim Soce Fall

Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response, World Health Organization | South Africa

Doctor Ibrahima Socé Fall is the Assistant Director General for emergencies response. He was formally the Regional Emergencies Director for WHO in the African Region. Dr has worked as WHO Representative in Mali before being appointed by the UN Secretary General as Ebola Crisis Manager and Head of UN mission for Ebola UNMEER in Mali in November 2014. He returned to WHO in March 2015 as Director of the Health Security and Emergencies Cluster in the Regional Office after a successful mission in leading partners’ support to interrupting EVD transmission in Mali. He largely contributed the reform of WHO’s work in emergencies from design to implementation following his contribution to ending Ebola in West Africa. Dr. Fall was WHO Representative in Mali in the midst of the political and humanitarian crisis when WHO needed strong leadership and expertise to deal with complex emergencies. Prior to joining Mali, Dr. Fall was Regional Advisor in the WHO Regional Office for Africa in charge of strategic planning for the malaria program as well as chair of Roll Back Malaria strategic planning working group at global level. He also coordinated capacity building for countries to access financing of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Dr. Fall joined WHO in November 2003 as coordinator of the malaria inter‐country support teams in the African Region. Dr. Fall also served as a member of the experts group that led the introduction and implementation of the Roll Back Malaria global partnership which was launched in 1998 by WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank. He was also member of the team that produced the first World Malaria Report in 2005 and subsequently until 2013. Before joining WHO, Dr Fall has occupied many positions in Senegal including head of epidemics and communicable diseases control, immunization at provincial level, Member of the National malaria control program steering committee and Lecturer in Public Health at the Dakar University Dr. Fall was trained as a military physician and has over 25 years’ experience in medical practice and Public Health. He has earned a doctorate in medicine (Dr Med), a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Dakar University (UCAD) and a doctorate in Public Health (PhD) jointly from Tulane University, Payson Center for International Development in the USA and UCAD, a Master of Science (MSc) in International Development from Tulane University and a post‐graduate diploma in tropical medicine and epidemiology in France at Aix‐Marseille University and the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the French Army (IMTSSA Pharo). Dr. Fall is also a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK (FFPH).

Dr. Chibuzo Okonta

President, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Central and West Africa | United Arab Emirates

Dr Chibuzo Okonta is president of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) West Africa. Originally from Nigeria, he joined MSF in 2005 and has worked with MSF’s emergency medical teams across the region. Here, he calls on practitioners from the African continent to own the narrative of the current COVID-19 pandemic and take advantage of Africa’s experience of outbreaks in order to mount a tailored response.

Ms. Chiara Scanagatta

South Sudan Programme Manager, Cuamm Doctors with Africa, Padova, Italy | Italy

Chiara Scanagatta obtained a MSc in Public Health in Developing Countries at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is working with CUAMM since 2008. After three years in Angola as Project Manager and Area Coordinator, she has moved to South Sudan, where she has been based for four years as Country Director. Then she has been appointed as Senior Program Manager, supporting CUAMM intervention in the field. Amongst her tasks, the preparation of proposals for and the management of grants issued by a wide range of institutional and private donors, mobilized to sustain humanitarian, resilience and development programs. She has gained comprehensive experience regarding emergency, relief and recovery funding mechanisms and their interaction with local authorities and international stakeholders at different level

Mr. Mamadi Diakite

Special Adviser for Security, Humanitarian Affairs and Fragile Countries, UNAIDS , Geneva | Switzerland

Mr. Mamadi DIAKITE is an international lawyer specialised in Human Rights, Humanitarian and HIV issues. He has over 28 years of professional experience in the United Nations System and at bilateral levels under various capacities. He currently serves as the Special Adviser for Security, Humanitarian Affairs and Fragile Countries at UNAIDS HQ in Geneva since May 2017. Prior to his current appointment, he held the following key positions: • Chief of Security and Humanitarian Affairs at UNAIDS HQ in Geneva (Switzerland) from June 2015 to April 2017; • Senior Regional Adviser, Human Rights, Legal and Justice programmes at the UNAIDS Regional Support Team Office based in Dakar (Senegal), covering 25 West and Central African countries from September 2008 to May 2015; • Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Director of the Human Rights Section at the OHCHR/DPKO Missions from 1992 to 2008. Mr. DIAKITE has a wealth of experience with peacekeeping/peacebuilding operations. Throughout his career, he has led and contributed to the promotion and protection of human rights, humanitarian, gender, national reconciliation and security sector reform. He has worked on mainstreaming good governance, rule of law and humanitarian programmes in fragile countries. He has also designed and implemented capacity building/training programmes for legislators, law enforcement agents, security forces and civil society organizations in Asia (Cambodia, Laos), Central Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia) and Africa (DRC, CAR, Ethiopia, and Eritrea). Furthermore, he has been involved in numerous peace negotiations and electoral observation processes in Africa, Europe and Asia for DPKO/DPA missions. Mr. DIAKITE is a national of Côte d'Ivoire and is fluent in English and French. He holds first a “Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (D.E.S.S)” in Diplomacy and Administration of International Organizations from the University of Paris Sud (1986) and a second “Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (D.E.S.S)” in Development and Cooperation from University Paris I Panthéon - Sorbonne (1987).

Mr. Fahad Bin Sultan

Deputy Secretary-General, Development and International Cooperation, UAE Red Crescent Authority | United Arab Emirates

Deputy Secretary-General, Development and International Cooperation, UAE Red Crescent Authority

HE Sultan Alsadoon

Director General, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Foundation for Humanitarian Activities | Saudi Arabia

H. E. Mr. Sultan Alsadoon is the Director General & Advisor to HRH Chairman of the board of Directors of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Foundation for Humanitarian Activities. With over 29 years of experience in global economy, organizational Development, Banking, and the financial Sectors. Mr. Alsadoon is a certified Financial & Management Advisor, member of the Saudi Economic Association, member of the Saudi China Business Council. Prior to joining the foundation, Mr. Alsadoon served as the chairman of the China Arab Investment Capital, Financial Coordinating Center, Maakah Investment in Beijing and the Vice President of Bank Masqat, SABB Bank, and the Saudi Al Fransi Bank.

Dr. Sukhwinder Singh

Assistant Professor, UAE University, Al Ain | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Singh is registered Social Worker with a background in humanitarian practice and interdisciplinary casework. He currently serves as a Special Envoy to the Red Cross and leads on refugee operations in West Nile. Prior to joining UAEU he worked at the University of Northampton in England as Senior Social Work Lecturer and Institutional lead for ‘Changemaker’ work in East Africa. Dr. Singh has been at the interface of social work for the past 25 years and has worked in a number of award winning projects. These projects have included his pioneering work at NBI where he developed the first UK positive action training programme; his clinical work for the National Health Service on intercultural practice and his recent practice education work for the Frantz Fanon Centre on interprofessional learning. Dr. Singh has a particular interest in the knowledge base of social work and regulatory and professional standards. At UAEU he contributes to a range of teaching which addresses the use of best evidence in social work practice. Dr. Singh is a mixed methods researcher and his research interests include measuring the professional outcomes of social work education and capturing the experiences of teaching and learning in interdisciplinary contexts.

Dr. Fawzi Amin

Head, GCC Cluster Office, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Amin joined the Ministry of Health since 1979, work in different sections and department of both Health center and Salmanyah Medical Center over 32 years, appointed in leadership positions, He was appointed on 2004 by Royal decree as Assistant Undersecretary for Training, Planning and Information. Retire from Ministry Of Health on October 2011. He continue working in his private Comprehensive Medical Clinic and teaching Family Medicine including Elderly Health in Arabian Gulf University. At present, Dr. Amin was appointed as the head of the Diplomatic mission representing The International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent for GCC, at Dubai office in the United Arab Emirates.

HE Salama Al Ameemi

Director-General, Ma’an, Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates

H.E. Salama Al Ameemi has been an integral founding member of the Department of Community Development (DCD), prior to her appointment as the Director General of Ma’an; the government authority decreed to build the entire ecosystem to enable non-government organizations and social enterprises to participate in the development process, advancing multistakeholder collaborations, social innovation, an entrepreneurial spirit and social cohesion in Abu Dhabi. An accomplished and pioneering Emirati professional, Al Ameemi brings a wealth of leadership experience and proficiency in delivering solutions that translate the government’s vision into ground realities with measurable outcomes, and demonstrates multifaceted leadership skills into the projects and responsibilities under her purview. As a purpose-driven leader, Al Ameemi believes in empowering others, building highly successful teams, being accountable and setting standards of excellence. Equipped with diverse industry understanding, as well as significant strategic and operational experience in various high-profile government transformation projects within the health, education and social sector, Al Ameemi brings insights on various subjects including corporate governance, strategy formulation, public policy and management. The depth of knowledge and experience positions Al Ameemi to effectively engage the community into a paradigm shift. In her dual role as Executive Director of Strategic Affairs with DCD, Al Ameemi drives the strategy approach and provides advice and operational support for policy planning and implementation of the development agenda, as well as spearheads and co-leads several strategic initiatives. Furthermore, Al Ameemi has completed a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Zayed University and was awarded the HRH Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic Excellence. She was also nominated and selected for the Leadership Program at London Government College, Member of the Social Sector Committee, Member of Directors of the Red Crescent and Member on the Board of Trustees of the National Fund for Social Responsibility, in addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees of Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, and a member of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club Board of Directors.

HE Sergio Piazzi

Secretary-General, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean | Malta

Amb. Sergio Piazzi is a Senior Executive Officer of the United Nations. In January 2008, he was elected as the first PAM Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM). He is an Alumnus of the Nunziatella Military High School of Naples, Italy, holding an Honours Doctorate Degree in International Political Sciences (Naples), a Master’s Degree in Economics and Foreign Trade (Rome), and a Crisis Management Certificate (University of Wisconsin, USA). Amb. Piazzi started his career as Political Officer at the US State Department in the early 1980’s. In 1985, he joined the United Nations and coordinated UN operations in Northern Ethiopia until 1988. From 1992 to 1995, he conceived and managed the UN Programme on the use of international Military and Civil Defense Assets in humanitarian operations. In 1996, he was appointed Head of the UN/DHA Regional Desk for Europe and former USSR. From 2001 to 2006, he was in charge of UN/OCHA’s External Affairs. In January 2007, he was appointed UN Senior Adviser on European Affairs. He was, inter-alia, responsible for policy cooperation with the Council of the EU, the European Commission, NATO, the Arab League, G77, G8, OIC, CoE and OSCE, and their Parliamentary Assemblies. During his career, he served also, among others, as UN Representative in Romania (1989-90), UNDRO Delegate in the Persian Gulf Region and Political Assistant to USG Martti Ahtisaari (1990); Policy Adviser to the Special Representative of the UNSG in Iraq (1991-92) and UN Representative to Operation Turquoise in Rwanda (1994). In his PAM’s capacity, in addition to the statutory functions, he regularly conducts, at the request of the EU and the UN, peace-support and confidence-building missions to, among others, Syria, Libya, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Israel and Palestine. In 2014, the UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee / CTED, requested his cooperation to launch a major ongoing legislative support programme to adapt and evaluate national legislations of the Euro-Mediterranean and CIS regions, together with the USA and the Russian Federation, to implement relevant UNSC’s resolutions dealing with ISIS and Foreign Terrorist Fighters. Amb. Piazzi is an Italian national. In 2016, the President of the Republic awarded him with the highest-ranking national award - Commendatore to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

HE Gerhard Putman-Cramer

Director, DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board (DISAB) | Switzerland

Former member of the Advisory Expert Committee on International Operations of the Swiss Red Cross; former Senior Associate of the Global Humanitarian Forum, and former member of the Board of the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva. Ambassador Putman-Cramer has been active in a variety of international fora these last few years, in his capacity as Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the United Nations in Geneva, providing support to a variety of initiatives undertaken by – or aimed at – PAM member states. This has involved developing and applying various aspects of parliamentary diplomacy, often as input complementary to actions undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations. As Director of DIHAD’s International Scientific Advisory Board, Amb. Putman-Cramer has put together and overseen the Conference Programme of the annual DIHAD events, this since its beginning in 2003. The last Conference (12-14 March 2019) had as its theme: ‘’People on the Move’’ (www.dihad.org). From 1975 until 2009 Amb. Putman-Cramer was with the United Nations, initially with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and subsequently with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA/OCHA). He served in New York (on 3 separate occasions), in Geneva (also on 3 separate occasions) and in a variety of field locations (including 2 years in Malaysia and 3 years in Madagascar). The last 14 years of his UN career saw him in the position of Chief of OCHA’s Emergency Services (concurrently appointed as Deputy Director, OCHA Geneva), during which time he created and developed a number of effective international response mechanisms and instruments (e.g the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team – UNDAC – and the Civil/Military Coordination concept ) while also reinforcing, together with the concerned authorities in disaster-prone countries, essential response capacities at the community, national and regional levels. During this period also, he led a large number of emergency/disaster response missions to, inter alia, Iraq (in the years 1991-94 and in 2003, as Area Coordinator for the Centre Region), the Caucasus, Tajikistan, Pakistan (the 2005 earthquake), Turkey, Mongolia, Thailand and Indonesia (also in the context of the South-East Asia Tsunami). Amb. Putman-Cramer has a ‘’Diplôme Universitaire en Santé Humanitaire’’ from the University Claude-Bernard in Lyon, a Post-Graduate Diploma (Economics, International Relations and International Law) from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, a Post-Graduate Diploma (Economic Development) from the Polytechnic of North London and a B.A. (Hons.) in Literature from Bedford College, University of London.