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

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).

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.

Regional Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Southern Africa

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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).

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).

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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).

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

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.