Conference Program 2023

HE. Hamad Al Sheikh Ahmed Al Shaibani

Director-General, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD), Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Director-General, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD), Dubai

HE. Nivine El-kabbag

Minister of Social Solidarity, Arab Republic of Egypt | Egypt

H.E Minister Al Kabbag has more than 25 years of experience in the field of international cooperation, strategic management and institutional development. She also had considerable experience in social policies and in evaluation. Her graduate studies in international political economy and international relations in Canada complemented her practical experience in international organizations and in managing development cooperation agreements. Prior to her appointment as Minister of Social Solidarity in January 2020, she has worked as Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity for Social Protection and Development with a mandate to manage a number of files on top of the political state agenda including poverty alleviation, economic empowerment equity, gender mainstreaming as well as disability. Nivine is currently managing the secretariat of the Ministerial Committee for Social Justice led by the Prime Minister. Ten years working for UNICEF enhanced her international experience on the development framework and specifically on women and children issues. Before joining UNICEF, Nivine was the Deputy Director for America’s Development Foundation in Egypt and in National Council for Negro Women, which strengthened her skills in Advocacy, Governance and Sound Management. She was also a Policy, Planning and Monitoring Advisor for the General Secretary of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and for the National Council for population. Nivine is the founder and was the chairperson of the first Egyptian Research and Evaluation Network (EREN) in Egypt.

HE. Martin Griffiths

United Nations Under Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator (TBC) | USA

United Nations Under Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator

HE. Francesco Rocca

President, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) | Switzerland

Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. Mr. Rocca was born in 1965 in Rome and is a lawyer by profession. He started his career with his own law firm. In 2003, he moved to the health administrative sector and was the Director of St. Andrea Hospital, headed the Department of Social Affairs of the City of Rome and until recently the General Director of a Dermatological Hospital. Mr. Rocca joined the Italian Red Cross in 2008 when he was asked to lead the change process of the Italian Red Cross and transform the structure from a public-sector organisation to a private volunteer-based organisation. The change process has been massive and today it works under a new umbrella guided by volunteers. Mr Rocca was elected president of this new structure in 2013. In 2009, when Italian Red Cross was elected member of the IFRC Governing Board Mr. Rocca was the appointed representative. In 2013 he was elected Vice President and in 2017 he was elected President of the IFRC, a position to which he was re-elected in 2022. Mr. Rocca speaks Italian, English, and Spanish. He is father of two sons and grandfather of Marie.

HE. Michael Koehler

Director-General, European Commission’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations | Belgium

Since April 2022, Dr Köhler has been serving as Acting Director-General at DG ECHO. As of August 2019, Dr Köhler has been Deputy Director-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in the European Commission’s DG ECHO where he coordinates the world-wide EU humanitarian aid activities. Previously, from 2015 to 2019, he was Director for EU- Neighbourhood Policy at the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) in the European Commission, where he was responsible for cooperation with Mediterranean Arab countries and Israel. From 2013 to 2014, he had been Director for the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood in the Directorate-General for development and International Cooperation (DG DEVCO), Head of Cabinet to Commissioner for Energy, Günther H. Oettinger between 2010 and 2013 and Head of Cabinet to Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Dr Joe Borg, between 2008 and 2009. Since he joined the European Commission in 1994, Dr Köhler held several positions, including desk officer for Yemen and Iraq; Assistant to the Director for South Mediterranean, Middle and Near East; Deputy European Correspondent; Deputy Head of Unit in charge of the co-ordination of Common Foreign and Security Policy; Deputy Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Borg, Head of Unit for International Affairs and Law of the Sea at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and acting Head of Unit for Maritime Policy for the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Before joining the European Commission, he worked as a representative of Konrad-AdenauerFoundation in Morocco and Tunisia, and later worked in the Policy Planning Department of the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development in Germany. Michael Köhler holds a Dr. phil. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Hamburg University (1987). He authored about thirty books, articles in international Islamic studies and foreign policy reviews on aspects of the political, economic and cultural development of the Muslim World, on the Arab League and on regional integration in the Maghreb, co-operation in the Mediterranean and development co-operation. Since 1997 he is a professor for "Europe and the Mediterranean" the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and in addition between 2006 and 2016 he served as a senior Fellow of the Center for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany.

HE. Hamdan 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. Gerhard Putman-Cramer

CEO, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation | Switzerland

Currently: -Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva; -Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation; -Member, Dubai Council on the Future of Humanitarian Aid (Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives); Higher Council Member of the International Congress for Health Specialties (ICHS); Former member of the Advisory Committee on International Operations of the Swiss Red Cross and of the Board of the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue; former Senior Associate of the Global Humanitarian Forum, Geneva. In his capacity as Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Putman-Cramer provides support to a number of initiatives undertaken by – or aimed at – PAM member states. This involves developing and applying various aspects of parliamentary diplomacy, often as inputs complementary to actions conducted under the auspices of the UN. As the CEO of the DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation, Amb. Putman-Cramer spearheads a number of the Foundation’s initiatives (including the newly created DIHAD College) and elaborates as well as oversees the Conference Programme of the annual DIHAD event (www.dihad.org). The most recent Conference (14-16 March 2022) had as its theme: “SDG 17, Partnerships and Cooperation for Sustainable Development”. 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. Amb. Putman-Cramer is married and has two daughters.

Prof. Mukesh Kapila

Professor Emeritus, Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester; Former Under Secretary-General, IFRC | Switzerland

Mukesh Kapila is Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester. He is also Senior Adviser to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. He is a writer, public and media speaker, and has extensive experience in global health, humanitarian affairs, conflict and security, international development, human rights and diplomacy, He has qualifications in medicine, public health, and development from the Universities of Oxford and London. He has served in senior leadership functions at the UK Government Department for International Development, United Nations, World Health Organization, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He has advised many multilateral institutions including the World Bank and UN agencies, and international NGOs. He has served on several Boards, including 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 at the United Nations. His many 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 first memoir “Against a Tide of Evil” was shortlisted for the 2013 Best Non-Fiction Book award. His further book (2019) is entitled “Not a Stranger to Kindness”.

HE. Yvette Stevens

Executive in Residence, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Former Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone; Former Director, UN OCHA, Geneva | Switzerland

Ambassador Stevens has had a broad and long experience in the United Nations System. An Engineer by training, She joined the United Nations in 1980 and served ILO, UNHCR, UNDESA, Office of the Special Adviser for Africa, OCHA and ISDR. At UNHCR, she served as Evaluation Officer as well as Chief of the Technical Support Section of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, both of which involved thorough analyses of refugee situations in about 30 countries, all over the world. She also served UNHCR in Africa, first as Deputy Liaison Representative in Ethiopia and as the UNHCR Representative to Kenya and Somalia. She became Director for Africa at the UN Secretariat in New York. Before retirement, she was the United Nations Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva from 2004 to 2006. After retirement from the UN, between 2006 and 2009, Ambassador Stevens worked as a freelance consultant on humanitarian issues as well as on disaster risk reduction in Africa. Following this, she worked as an Energy Policy Adviser to the Government of Sierra Leone, before being appointed Permanent Representative in Geneva in 2012. As Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Stevens was active, inter alia, on human rights issues, (including Child Early and Forced Marriage, Persons Living with Albinism and Women’s Rights); trade (Women and Trade, Trade Assistance to Least Developing Countries); disarmament (Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems). She served as Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Implementation of the DDPA from 2016 to 2018. She is currently Executive in Residence at the Geneva Center for Security Policy.

Mr. Greg Puley

Head of Climate Team, Office of the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs | Switzerland

Greg Puley leads the Climate Team in the Office of the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. Greg has had a long career of both programme management and policy development in the humanitarian sphere in Africa, Asia and Latin America. With the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs he has served as Chief of Section, Middle East and North Africa; Deputy Head of Office and Head of Office ai., Myanmar; Senior Advisor in the Coordination and Response Division; Chief of Section, Protection and Displacement; and in short term capacities in the OCHA offices in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Venezuela. In 2022, Greg authored a landmark study on the global impact of extreme heat, jointly published by the United Nations and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In 2016 Greg led an inter-agency team supporting the Secretary General's Special Envoys on El Niño and Climate, producing a globally-agreed protocol for early response to extreme weather events related to El Niño. Prior to joining the United Nations, Greg worked in civil society organizations in several different capacities, including for Oxfam as Head of the New York office, global policy lead for conflict and humanitarian issues, Country Director in the Russian Federation and Ethiopia, and short term assignments in Gaza, Zimbabwe and the Central African Republic. Greg also led a joint project between civil society and the Government of Canada on the 'Responsibility to Protect' in Africa, and spent several years in Central America with the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, managing projects aimed at curbing the impact of small arms violence in the post-war context, and chairing the global steering group in support of an Arms Trade Treaty. He holds degrees from Queen's University in Canada, and the London School of Economics.

Mr. Ivano Iannelli

CEO, Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence; Senior Advisor to the CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium | United Arab Emirates

Ivano is widely acknowledged as the GCC's foremost expert in the fields of Sustainability, GHG inventories and Carbon Markets. He is a Board Director of the ESG Foundation and a subject matter expert in green economy, Sustainability and low carbon pathways from an economic standpoint. His primary work is with governments and corporate clients to develop long-term economic scenarios that help them understand the risks and opportunities that the transition to a low-carbon economy could bring to their operations. Ivano is currently the Senior Advisor to the CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, the world’s 3rd largest aluminium producer, on ESG and Carbon Border Adjustment mechanism (CBAM). He has extensive experience in developing policy solutions both for the Gulf Region and internationally through 25 years of combined experience with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, as the CEO of Dubai Carbon, and working for the United Nations. He heads up the Global Carbon Markets team acting as Dubai’s lead negotiator on market-based mechanisms at the UNFCCC COPs, helping to design the future framework for global carbon markets. Ivano helped to develop Dubai’s and the UAE’s Green House Gas reporting on annual basis, the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the energy efficiency policy framework, assessing potential policy solutions for both industries, small businesses, and residential properties. He is part of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s working group developing the new market-based measure for aviation and supports the UAE’s input into CORSIA. Ivano is an active part of the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, Partnership for Market Readiness, and the Task Force for Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets (now Integrity Council). He helped design the AED 100bn Dubai Green Fund, an innovative financing scheme designed to drive green infrastructure, renewables and energy efficiency in large, non-energy intensive industries and led a team exploring policy solutions to overcome the barriers preventing small businesses from taking up energy efficiency measures. As a development economist, he specializes in the integration of international financial incentives and PPP models into the project development phase with a particular focus on the carbon layer, green energy and sustainable commercial initiatives, thus increasing the profitability of socio-environmental projects. Of notable mentions are Dubai’s PPA legislation that kicked off the renewables drive and global benchmarks. Ivano is a Doctoral Candidate with Herriot Watt University researching CBAM, has post-graduate specialization from MIT in Blockchain Economics and in Strategy from Harvard Business School, with a focus on Disruptive Innovation. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in Aviation Management from the University of Coventry (UK), a Master's Degree in International Management from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the University of Memphis (USA). Ivano has more than 25 years of extensive business experience in different regions. Short Ivano is widely acknowledged as the GCC's foremost experts in the fields of Sustainability, GHG inventories and Carbon Markets. He is Board Director of the ESG Foundation, formerly the CEO of Dubai Carbon and a United Nations senior official before then. He is a subject matter expert in environmental economics and low carbon strategies. Ivano has extensive experience in facilitating economically relevant low-carbon pathways and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). For the past 2 decades, he has aggregated and managed GHG National inventories across the GCC, NDCs and State Action Plans, with a focus on Private Sector synergies. He is part of the UAE Negotiation team on carbon markets at the UNFCCC COP as well as part of the ICAO working group on new market-based measures for aviation, and currently supports the UAE’s input into CORSIA. Ivano is also working with the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, Partnership for Market Readiness, and the newly launched Task Force for Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral Research on CBAM.

HE. Fabrizzio Carboni

Regional Director Near and Middle East, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) | Belgium

Mr. Fabrizzio Carboni holds a degree in Law and a Master in International Law from Université Libre de Bruxelles. Mr. Carboni joined the ICRC in September 1998 as an intern in the legal division. In November 1999, he conducted his first mission, in Afghanistan. He then alternated between the field and headquarters, leading operational activities while in the field. From 2010 to 2013 he was the deputy head of the Multilateral Organizations, Policy and Humanitarian Action division in Geneva. Mr. Carboni was head of the ICRC delegation in Lebanon before taking over as head of the ICRC delegation in Yangon in August 2017. Since September 2018 he has been Regional Director for the Near and Middle East and is based in Geneva. Mr Carboni is married and has two children.

Mr. Daniele Donati

Deputy Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome | Democratic Republic Of The Congo

Deputy Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome

HE. Eynat Shlein

Head of MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation; Deputy Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel | Israel

Ambassador Eynat Shlein is the Head of MASHAV, Israel's agency for International Development Cooperation, and a deputy director general in the Israeli ministry of Foreign Affairs. Born and raised in Israel, she joined the Foreign Service as a career diplomat in 1992, specializing in the Middle East region, Israeli-Arab relations and American affairs, promoting dialog and understanding in the region.

Ms. Sara Al Nuaimi

Director, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Ms. Sara Al Nuaimi is Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). She supports and oversees collaborations of more than 30 humanitarian and developmental entities carrying out initiatives and projects to benefit populations in over 108 countries. Since she joined MBRGI in 2017, Al Nuaimi led some of the UAE’s key regional and global humanitarian campaigns including the 1 Billion Meals campaign, the Arab Reading Challenge, the Madrasa e-Learning Platform, among others. Al Nuaimi develops strategic plans and manages partnerships with international organizations and NGOs, including UN agencies, to expand the outreach and impact of humanitarian work to the largest scope of beneficiaries. Central to her efforts is designing sustainable projects and deploying resources effectively to address major societal issues and build better lives across the world.

Mr. Alex Marianelli

Director, Supply Chain Division, World Food Programme (WFP) | Italy

Mr. Marianelli is Director of the Supply Chain Division of the world’s largest humanitarian agency, the United Nations World Food Programme, which serves more than 100 million people every year in more than 80 countries. In his role, Mr. Marianelli oversees the full span of WFP’s extensive supply chain operations, from the planning and procurement of more than US$ 3 billion worth of food, goods and services, through to shipping, logistics and aviation operations to deliver more than 4 million mt of food each year, carried out by more than 4,000 staff globally. He also oversee’s WFP’s supply chain activities in support of the wider humanitarian community through managed and mandated services such as the Logistics Cluster, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, and the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots. A highly experienced humanitarian logistician, over his twenty year career with WFP Mr. Marianelli has worked in a range of humanitarian settings, spanning deep field operations, regional bureaux and headquarters. He has led numerous emergency responses across natural disasters, conflicts and health emergencies, and has used his expertise to work with national disaster management authorities and governments around the world to strengthen their disaster logistics response capacity. Mr. Marianelli has a strong interest in people and workforce management, and prior to serving as Director of Supply Chain, also served as Deputy Director of WFP’s Human Resources Division. An Australian national equally fluent in English and French, before joining WFP Mr. Marianelli worked as a scientist focusing on environmental issues.

Ms. Umra Omar

Community Conservation Strategist and Founder, Safari Doctors, Lamu, Kenya | Kenya

Revolutionary | Mother | Humanitarian | Public Servant Born in Kenya and educated around the world, Umra is a globally recognized public figure known for pushing the limits to navigate identity politics and make a difference by disrupting oppressive status quo paradigms. She currently lives in Lamu, Kenya, where she is the founder of a free medical program, a school for the disenfranchised and sports programs to uplift young boys and girls. Umra is running for Governor of Lamu County in Kenya’s 2022 General Elections making her the first and youngest woman from Kenya’s coast to ever make such an attempt despite the toxic patriarchy and security risks involved. AWARDS & RECOGNITION 2021: Amujae Leader, EJS Presidential Center for Women and Development, Liberia 2020: National Hero Award, Government of Kenya 2020: United Nations Real Life Hero, Global 2019: Young Global Leader (YGL), World Economic Forum 2019: Coast Woman of the Year, Kenya 2019: Robert Burns Humanitarian, Scotland 2018: Aurora Goodwill Ambassador, Armenia 2017: UN Kenya Person of the Year, Kenya 2017: African Leaders for Change, South Africa 2017: Business Daily Top 40 under 40, Kenya 2016: CNN Hero, United States of America

Ms. Laila Baker

Regional Director for Arab States, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) | Egypt

Laila Baker is the Regional Director for Arab States in UNFPA, the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health. Ms. Baker has 30 years international experience in global humanitarian and development settings primarily in the Arab region, leading and strategizing programme delivery, resource mobilization, and interagency coordination in complex geopolitical situations. Ms. Baker has served in several representational and advisory roles, she is an expert in UNFPA mandate areas and programmes, including sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence especially in humanitarian settings. Ms. Baker’s career also includes work with major non-UN organizations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Regional Office in Tunisia, OXFAM UK and as the Director of Strategic Planning of the national branch of the IFRC in Palestine. As HQ Director for UNRWA’s Relief and Services Program from 2014 to 2016, she instituted a series of reforms to the poverty and social inclusion programs. Ms. Baker comes from a long history of service with the United Nations, most notably, UNDP, UNRWA and a twenty-year career with UNFPA, where she served in Palestine, Geneva and as Representative in Syria and Jordan. She was previously the Regional Director for Arab States, UNDCO, in Amman since August 2019. Mr. Baker has been committed to development and humanitarian work in the Arab region, and is also passionate and strongly committed to seeing through the achievement of the three transformative results in the region by 2030. A national of the United States of America, and of Palestinian descent, Ms. Baker completed her master’s degrees in public health from the University of Wales and Cardiff University School of Medicine and Community.

Dr. Victor Ladele

Mental Health Innovation Lead, UNICEF Office of Innovations, Stockholm | Sweden

Victor Olusoji Ladele is the lead at UNICEF’s Office of Innovation focused on Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Innovation. Through sound innovation management systems, UNICEF IS generating new ways of operating in an increasingly complex world and enabling a future where all young people have the mental health tools and support that they need to thrive free from stigma. The global portfolio of mental health innovations are run out of UNICEF country offices, are geared towards scale and currently contain 22 digital and non-digital solutions. Previously Victor helped launch, as Head of Exploration, UNDP’s award-winning innovation Accelerator Labs. Before that he served in the field as a humanitarian officer with WHO Health Emergencies (pandemic response) and with UN Peacekeeping (armed conflict). His work experience spans across North, West & Central Africa, North America, and Asia Pacific regions. With a background in medicine & systems thinking, he is a highly respected innovation leader with over 10 years of experience driving growth and driving change within humanitarian & development organizations. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Victor is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences, sharing insights and expertise on innovation. Both moonshots - bold, visionary inventions & technological breakthroughs, and “puddle jumps”—important, incremental advances to the current way of doing things, require creativity and the will to reimagine development and humanitarian solutions to support the most marginalized and ensure no one is left behind. Victor is passionate about helping humanitarian and development organizations embrace change and drive progress and is always looking for new ways to make a positive impact.

Dr. Maha El-Adawy

Director, Healthier Populations Division, World Health Organization (WHO), Cairo | Egypt

Dr El-Adawy currently works as Director, Division of Healthier Populations since July 2016. She previously worked as the Representative of UNFPA in the Islamic Republic of Iran from August 2015 to July 2016. She also held the position of Program and Technical Regional Advisor, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in UNFPA Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt from January 2009 to August 2015. Dr El-Adawy was the Policy Adviser for Health in UNDP office in New York, USA from June 2007 to December 2008. Prior to this post, Dr El Adawy was the Senior Regional Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, New York, USA from March 2000 until June 2007. She held other senior health positions at the European Commission (EC) Delegation in Cairo, Egypt as well as at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, USA. Dr El-Adawy holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Cairo University, Egypt. Dr El-Adawy holds a Master’s degree of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA as well as a Doctorate degree of Public Health from Cairo University, Egypt. She also holds the Eisenhower fellowship for leadership development from the Eisenhower Fellowship program, Philadelphia, USA. She also holds a Takemi fellowship from Harvard School of Public Health. She worked as a consultant for UNICEF, World Bank and the American University in Beirut

HE. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair

Co-Founder and Chairman, Al Ghurair Foundation | United Arab Emirates

His Excellency, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mashreq Bank. He was the CEO of Mashreq for nearly 30 years and under his leadership, Mashreq grew from a small local bank, to a leading customer centric financial institution in the region known for its innovative products and services. Furthermore, His Excellency is a member of the Board of Directors of Abdullah Al Ghurair Group of Companies, one of the biggest and most successful business groups in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, with operations spanning more than 20 countries and business roots stretching back half a century. His Excellency was elected as a speaker on the United Arab Emirates Federal National Council (UAE Parliament), from 2007 until 2011. Previously, he sat on the Board of Directors of major companies such as Emaar, Dubai Investments, Visa International, MasterCard, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Co-Chairman of the Arab Business Council – World Economic Forum (WEF). He was also a member of the Consultative GCC Council for the GCC Leaders and President of The Knowledge Fund, and a member of the Board of Trustees of New York University, USA. His Excellency holds an Honours’ Degree from the California Polytechnic State University in Industrial Engineering.

Ms. Yasmine Sherif

Director, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), New York | USA

Yasmine Sherif is the Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – the United Nations Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crisis established by the World Humanitarian Summit. A lawyer specialized in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law (LL.M), she has over 30 years of experience with the United Nations (UNHCR, UNDP, OCHA) and international NGOs, starting her international career in 1988. Ms. Sherif has served in some of the most crisis affected countries and regions on the globe, including Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and across the Middle East, as well as in New York and Geneva. Her expertise spans across the humanitarian, development, human rights, gender and peacekeeping spectrum. Ms. Sherif has also worked as an Adjunct Professor responsible for the Masters Programme on the United Nations, humanitarian assistance, and human rights at Long Island University (LIU), and has published on international humanitarian and development issues, as well as international law. She is the author of the book, The Case for Humanity: An Extraordinary Session, which was launched at the United Nations in New York in 2015, and a Champion for ‘No Lost Generation.’ In 2017, she received the annual award “Sweden’s UN Friend of the Year” and in 2020 she was awarded the Global Educator Award in the United States.

Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar

CEO, Al Ghurair Foundation, Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ben Jaafar currently serves as the CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, one of the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiatives in the Arab world. Prior to this role, she was the Managing Director of EduEval, where she cultivated partnerships with governments, international agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and multinational corporations to promote evidence-based decisions for a greater positive impact on education. She is currently the Chairperson for the Global Councils on Sustainable Development Goals, which was established by the World Government Summit to implement projects with tangible outcomes and support the international implementation of the SDGs. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership, and a MA in Curriculum Studies from the University of Toronto. She is passionate about coupling her experience with her academic background to promote knowledge sharing and education for good

Dr. Waleed Al Ali

Secretary General, The Digital School, UAE | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Waleed Al Ali – is the secretary general and board member for The Digital School Initiative, He also holds responsibilities in a number of leading initiatives in Dubai including senior advisor at Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives (MBRGI), the general coordinator for Madrasa.org e-learning initiative and the coordinator for Dubai Future Council for Humanitarian Aid. Dr.Waleed has extensive experience in the areas of strategic planning, educational strategies, social & humanitarian innovation, and digital transformation. الدكتور وليد آل علي هو أمين عام وعضو مجلس إدارة مبادرة المدرسة الرقمية، ويتولى كذلك عدد من المسؤوليات في عدد من المبادرات الرائدة بما فيها مستشار أول في مؤسسة مبادرات محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم العالمية والمشرف العام لمنصة مدرسة للتعليم الإلكتروني، ويشغل أيضاً مهمة منسق مجلس دبي لمستقبل العمل الإنساني. وللدكتور وليد خبرة واسعة في مجالات التخطيط الاستراتيجي وإدارة الابتكار، واستراتيجيات التعليم، ومشاريع الابتكار الاجتماعي والتنموي والتحول الرقمي.

Mr. Alvaro Biel

Head Government and Foundations Partnerships, Udacity Middle East and Asia | United Arab Emirates

Alvaro Biel is an expert in Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships working on large-scale capability-building programs. He leads Government and Foundations Partnerships and Business Development for Udacity in Middle East and Asia. Prior to that he worked as a Consultant and advisor to Governments in GCC. In 2011, he launched Thinkids in Spain, an educational platform to foster creativity and imagination in children from 9-15 years old and encourage entrepreneurship from an early stage. He holds and Engineering degree from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid and a MBA from IESE Business School.

Mr. Claus Sorensen

Senior Adviser on Resilience, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Norwegian Refugee Council; Former Director-General, ECHO | Denmark

Senior Adviser on Resilience, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Norwegian Refugee Council. 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 the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oslo, Institut Bioforce, Lyon, Center for Global Development, Washington, the Global Executive Leadership Initiative, Geneva, Committed to Good, Dubai and Thinktank Europa, Copenhagen. 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. Sean Rafter

Managing Director, HELP Logistics, Kuhne Foundation, Switzerland | Switzerland

After attaining a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering, Sean Rafter worked for an independent automotive consultancy for 7 years in the advanced technical field of acoustics and vehicle refinement. He spent another 7 years working in IT & Telecommunications as Software Engineer and Operations Team Lead overseeing and maintaining several business critical systems such as billing and customer databases. Sean Rafter subsequently entered the humanitarian sector and climbed quickly recognised for his leadership and experience in large-scale emergencies and his strategic vision in regards humanitarian logistics. Sean Rafter joined HELP Logistics in 2015.

HE. Yerlan Baidaulet

Director General, Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) | Kazakhstan

Prof. Yerlan Baidaulet is currently the Director General of the Kazakhstan based Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), a specialized Institution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Before reaching this high post at the IOFS in May 2019, Prof. Baidaulet held several important high level roles at his home country, Kazakhstan, including at the Ministry of Investments and Development of Kazakhstan, as Adviser (out of staff) to the Minister (in charge of cooperation with OIC Member States), at KAZNEX INVEST as Managing Director, Special Representative on Cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), IsDB Executive Director in charge of 7 IsDB Member Countries (2011-2014), Acting IsDB Governor (for 39th and 41st IsDB Annual Meetings (Mozambique/Indonesia), Ministerial Special Envoy for Industrial Goods Exports to OIC Member States, and JSC KazGeology, Advisor. The IOFS Director General has an extensive working experience in banking and finance, as he has published several Articles on Islamic Finance (Business Islamica (No.7, 2010), Global IF Report 2011 (UK), Willey’s World Islamic Finance Handbook 2014 (RedMoney Group, KL), interviews for Thompson Reuters, Bloomberg, and Kazakh mass-media. In fact, his publications in this important field include a book on Basics of the Islamic (Ethical) finance, 2010 (published in Russian, Kazakh, and Uzbek), Islamic Finance: theory, practice, regulatory issues, 2016. Due to this important work in finance & banking, Prof. Baidaulet is holder of Global Islamic Finance Special Prize 2015 (Leadership Role) for the contribution to the development of the global Islamic Finance industry (awarded in Bahrain by GIFA UK Committee), and in recognition of his critical role for the development of IOFS, he was awarded with the prestigious Prix De La Foundation (CMF Award) 2022 by HRH Prince Jean de Luxembourg at the Crans Montana Forum in November 2022 in Geneva. This award reflects the recognition of the increasing role the IOFS and its partners play in implementing the vitally important aspect of food security in the global agenda. Born on 07 August 1970, married and father of two, the IOFS Director General expresses himself in Kazakh, Russian, English, German (fluent), Arabic (primary), and in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan no. 584 of 02 June 1994 by the decision of the Academic Council of the International Islamic University "Rukhaniyat" (2011), he was awarded the academic title – Professor. Additionally, by the decision of the Academic Council of the Kazakh National Agrarian University, protocol №10 of 25 May 2021, he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor

Mr. Omar Christidis

CEO, Arabnet, Beirut (TBC) | Netherlands

CEO, Arabnet, Beirut (TBC)

Ms. Aline Bussmann

Co-Director, Cewas - International Centre for Water Management Services | Netherlands

Aline Bussmann is the Co-Director of Cewas. She is a water and natural resource management specialist, connecting agricultural, sanitation, waste and other environmental sectors with innovation, business development and impact financing. She coordinates and manages all Cewas activities in the Middle East, with a strong focus on environmental business development & ecosystem support programs in the region. Based on her experience in entrepreneurial support, Aline has developed comprehensive sector-specific ecosystem strategies in several MENA countries and initiated partnerships and coordination platforms to enhance innovative finance mechanisms, talent growth and specialized business support. Aline has extensive water, environment, and business -related knowledge and networks, which she draws upon to coach sector-specific businesses and support developing respective markets.

Mr. Omar Itani

Co-Founder and General Manager, FabricAID | Netherlands

Omar Itani’s entrepreneurial journey started at a young age at high school, when he started his student-run waste management company. Itani has won numerous competitions including the prestigious Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) in 2018, where he developed FabricAID into the scale and shape it occupies today. FabricAID is a social enterprise focused on upcycling and reusing second hand clothes. Itani won the Denis Pietton Award organised by the French Institute in 2018 as the most distinguished, young social entrepreneur from the Arab World. He was also awarded the Young Champion of the Earth for West Asia in 2019 by the United Nations for his work in fabric waste reduction – the highest award given by the UN for individuals under the age of 30. Business savvy and social by nature, Itani has succeeded in growing FabricAID from a seed idea into a full-blown company with more than 120 employees and several millions in revenues within 4 years.

HE. Salma Al Qubaisi

President, Salma Al Qubaisi Holding; Leading Tech Investor | Netherlands

Salma Al Qubaisi is an Emirati Technology women leader, serving the largest government organisation in the oil & gas sector “ADNOC”. She is an innovative and inspiring personality in the field of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain. She is instrumental in delivering value to IT professionals with her creative thoughts and leadership skills. Salma Al Qubaisi is a keen investor in Tech Projects, whether it’s a pre-seed, seed, Stage A, or B venture. She is an expert in Tech acquisition including projects based on SaaS, Consumer-based websites, E-Commerce, and Platforms of various types. She has leadership skills, Project Management, Budget Planning and Control, Team Development, Business Plan development, Business Continuity Planning & Disaster Recovery Planning, Strategic Acquisition, and Negotiation.

Mr. Alessandro Villa

Deputy Head of Unit for Middle East, Central Asia (Directorate General for International Partnership - DG INTPA) | Netherlands

Alessandro Villa is an agro-economist by training and works at the European Commission (EC), Directorate General for International Partnership (DG INTPA) in Brussels as Deputy Head of Unit for Middle East, Central Asia and relations with Arab Donors. Previously he worked as Deputy Head of Unit for relations with International Organizations/Financial Institutions and EU Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in Rome. Before he worked within the Crisis Platform of the EC as planner for crisis responses and as head of section for rural development and food security at the EC Delegations to Uganda and Rwanda. Thanks to his various positions, half of which on the ground, he has developed a wide geographical and thematic experience in particular on crisis response, external relations, development, multilateral and bilateral cooperation, working closely with partner countries and other donors to develop increasingly effective and strategic partnerships.

Ms. Semra Sevinc

Founder, Sustainability Academy, Istanbul (TBC) | Netherlands

Semra Sevinc, who completed her undergraduate education in the Department of Business Administration at Bogaziçi University, has worked as a manager in national and international institutions and took part in the senior management. She has been working on sustainable business models and sustainable brand strategies since 2007. Semra Sevinc is a founding Board Member of the Sustainability Academy Turkey. She is also among the founders of platforms such as Sustainable Brands, Sustainable Business and Sustainable Food in Turkey. Semra Sevinc has been the Turkey director of the Global Sustainable Brands Community since 2012. In addition to these works, Semra Sevinc gives lectures at universities, attends conferences as a speaker and gives training on various subjects.

Mr. Amin Awad

Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University and Former UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine | Switzerland

2022 Assistant Secretary General and United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine In light of the escalating crisis in Ukraine (some 14 million people displaced internally and externally): Represented the Secretary – General in Ukraine, led and coordinated UN’s operational response to the evolving situation on the ground. Liaised with government, de facto non-government actors. Coordinated security planning and programming criticality. Served the primary public spokesperson for the UN operations in Ukraine. 2020-2021 Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University Amin Awad is a 2020 to 2021 Senior Fellow, Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative, engaged 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. Awad was engaged in humanitarian action with the United Nations for over 30 years, where he distinguished himself in some of the most challenging field operations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia. He held a series of leadership positions in the field and at headquarters during many of the mega-crises of the 1990s, including the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia. During the first and second Gulf Wars, he handled the complex political negotiations in cooperation with cross-Atlantic security and military institutions, namely NATO and the OSCE, as well as regional institutions, such as the EU, OIC and the Arab League. Mr. Awad also held Humanitarian Coordinator positions on several occasions, including in Tajikistan, FYR Macedonia, and Sri Lanka. Amin Awad was given the opportunity to contribute to reform and improvement within the United Nations system, as a focal point for UNHCR. Through this role, he pushed for the UN reform agenda including the UN Transformative Humanitarian Agenda, as well as in the areas of policy development, field implementation, security sector, and technical areas such as procurement, supply and oversight. His profound expertise comprises, inter alia, development cooperation, emergency management, refugee assistance, inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization, global supply chain oversight, and political negotiation. A Senior Fellow at Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative , Awad holds a BA in Political Science and Economics and completed higher studies in International Development Administration.

Ms. Samah Hadid

Head of Advocacy and Communications Norwegian Refugee Council, Middle East Office | Norway

Ms Samah Hadid is the Head of Advocacy and Communications for NRC’s Middle East Office covering responses including Syria, Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. Hadid has over 10 years’ experience working in the humanitarian and development sector in the Middle East and North Africa. Recently she has worked with Oxfam and Amnesty International heading up advocacy and policy responses across region. She has also advised UN agencies on human rights issues and development policy through her advisory roles with UNESCO , as a member of the UN Experts Meeting Group on Youth and as a fellow with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Samah has also written extensively on humanitarian, refugee and social justice issues in the Middle East. She has published regular commentary in the Guardian, CNN, The Independent, Asia Times, and Al Jazeera. Samah has also co-authored several books including - The Future by Us and Future Chasers. She has been named one of the top 100 Leaders of Tomorrow by the St Gallen Institute. Samah holds degrees in international law, economics and social sciences.

Mr. Othman Belbeisi

Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, International Organization for Migration (IOM) | Egypt

Othman has been serving as the Senior Regional Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa within the Executive Office. Othman has been with IOM since 2003 and has previously served as the chief of Mission in Libya. He has also worked for IOM Jordan and as IOM Head of Office in Lebanon. Throughout his nearly two-decade career with IOM, Othman has been deployed to various MENA countries on numerous assignments. He also served as emergency coordinator for the Syrian and Libyan crises. In addition to his current duties as SRA MENA, Othman currently served as Special Coordinator for Syria, leading and coordinating activities undertaken by IOM in Syria and neighboring countries. In addition to this recent role. He has been serving as the IOM Director General's Special Envoy for Iraq since early 2022. Othman holds a master's degree in Business Administration and has completed various national and international professional training and qualifications.

Mr. Mark Gibson

Operational Lead, Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) | Switzerland

Mark Gibson is an energy and environmental specialist with over 25 years of experience. He joined The Global Plan of Action (GPA) for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Displacement Settings in 2018, and is the Operational Team Leader. Mark is an Energy Expert deployed by NORCAP: NRC Expert Deployments to UNITAR / GPA in Geneva. Prior to which he spent two years with UNHCR Tanzania where, among other things, he produced the country-wide Energy and Environmental Strategy to address key impacts from the humanitarian response at three refugee camps. Before working in the humanitarian sector, Mark spent 20 years providing private sector support to a broad spectrum of energy and environmental projects in Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Mark holds a degree in Environmental Studies and masters degrees in Environmental Law and Marine Resource Management.

HE. Nawal Al-Hosany

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

Her Excellency Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany is the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) since April 2018. Previously, Dr. Al Hosany held the position of the Executive Director of Sustainability at Masdar, the international renewable energy leader based in Abu Dhabi. She also served as the Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize (now known as the Zayed sustainability Prize) for eight years between 2011-2018. She is currently a Jury member of the Prize. She was also the Deputy Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA) between 2017-2018. Apart from her current position and as part of her professional career, Dr. Al-Hosany holds positions across various business sectors, government entities and academic institutions in the UAE and internationally. She is also an active and prominent member of several key international, regional and local climate-focused boards and committees, including the advisory council of National Geographic magazine, the advisory board of the Payne Institute in Colorado School of Mines, the advisory Panel for the Momentum for Change initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She is a board member of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations to accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), the Paris Climate Agreement, the Emirates Schools Establishment and the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation. Concurrently, she serves as the Vice Chair for the Global Council of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Nawal Al Hosany’s numerous 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.

Dr. Youssef Nassef

Director, Adaptation Division, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Bonn | Germany

Youssef Nassef has led the adaptation workstreams under the UNFCCC since their inception. He possesses over 30 years of experience in diplomacy and international environmental policy, and is a seconded diplomat from the Egyptian Foreign Service. While assuming progressively higher levels of leadership at the UNFCCC, he led UNFCCC support for several initiatives on adaptation. These include the inception and support for National Adaptation Programmes of Action and National Adaptation Plans; the Nairobi Work Programme – an international knowledge hub for impacts, vulnerability and adaptation; and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. He recently created the Resilience Frontiers initiative which applies foresight for attaining post-2030 resilience. He holds a PhD in International Technology Policy and Management and a MALD in International Environmental Policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, as well as a MA in Middle East Studies and a BSc in Computer Science and Physics from the American University in Cairo.

Ms. Barbara Hintermann

Director-General, Terre-des-Hommes, Lausanne | Switzerland

During her 20 years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), both in the field and at headquarters, Barbara Hintermann has acquired an in-depth knowledge of humanitarian action and its ecosystem. She has worked in various countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America and hold several senior leadership positions at the Headquarters in Geneva. Afterwards, for five years, she has headed the Initiatives of Change Switzerland foundation, which is active in reconciliation and promotion of peace. Since January 2020, Barbara Hintermann is the Director General of the Terre des hommes Foundation in Lausanne, which works for the wellbeing of children and the promotion of children's rights.

Ms. Elise d’Epenoux

Senior Director for Public Affairs and International Communications, The SeaCleaners | France

After starting her career as an international reporter for RFI (Radio France Internationale) in Africa (Republic of Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast), Elise d’Epenoux became a journalist for AFP (Agence France-Presse) for over 12 years. For AFP, she was a specialist in environmental issues, climate change and plastic pollution. As such, she also extensively covered the COP21 and the Paris Agreement. She then worked for 2 years as a communications officer, editorial manager and writer for the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) where she was notably in charge of the engagement of all stakeholders and the moderation of the sessions and panel discussions for COP23 and COP24. Since June 2021, she has been the Senior Director of Public Affairs, Head of International Communications and Spokesperson for the international NGO SeaCleaners, which fights marine plastic pollution.

Mr. Karim El-Jisr

Chief Sustainability Officer, Diamond Developers, The Sustainable City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates

Karim El-Jisr is an effective and passionate communicator in urban development, smart cities, and climate change. He worked 15 years in conservation management and then shifted his attention to making future cities and communities more livable and climate-proof with a people-centric focus. He is based in The Sustainable City in Dubai, an award-winning master-planned community which has become a living laboratory for future technologies and climate action. Karim graduated from the American University of Beirut in agricultural engineering (1997) and environmental sciences (1999). He completed a course in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. A seasoned speaker at international venues, Karim is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Danish.

Dr. Carole Nakhle

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Crystol Energy; Energy Research Fellow, Surrey Energy Economics Centre, UK | United Kingdom

Dr. Carole Nakhle is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crystol Energy, an advisory, research and training firm, which received several awards including Best Independent Energy Consultancy in the UK in 2018 and again in 2021. Dr Nakhle is an internationally recognised authority on the interplay between economics, energy, governance and geopolitics. With a unique breadth of experience gained from working across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, Dr Nakhle worked with major energy companies at the executive level, governments and policy makers (including Special Parliamentary Advisor in the UK), international organisations (Commonwealth Secretariat, IMF, United Nations and World Bank), as well as academic institutions and specialized think tanks on a global scale. She sits on the Governing Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and is a Member of the Advisory Boards of the Middle East Institute and Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines. She is a program advisor to the Washington based International Tax and Investment Centre and Lead Energy Expert with the Geopolitical Intelligence Services. Dr Nakhle has played an integral part in the OECD Policy Dialogue on Natural Resource-based Development and has contributed to the development of the organisation’s Principles for Durable Extractive Contracts. She has lectured at leading academic institutions, including: the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, University of Surrey in the UK, The Graduate Institute in Geneva, Saint Joseph University in Lebanon, The National Defense University in the USA and Nato Strategic Direction South Hub in Italy. Her views are highly regarded. She has published extensively in academic journals, newspapers and magazines and acts as a Reviewer to leading academic journals. She is an avid commentator on energy in the international media and at major conferences and industry gatherings. She has appeared on Al Arabiyya, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Africa News, France 24, and Sky News to name but a few, and was quoted in leading newspapers such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. She is also the author of two widely acclaimed books: Petroleum Taxation: Sharing the Wealth published in 2008 and re-printed in 2012 and used as primary reference in leading universities and industry training courses; and Out of the Energy Labyrinth (2007), co-authored with Lord David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy in the UK. Dr Nakhle has worked on projects in many countries, collaborating closely with host governments, ministries, and parliaments, in addition to the private sector and civic society. She has also been on exploratory visits to the Arctic (organised by the Norwegian Government) and the North Sea. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French. In 2017, she gave evidence to the International Relations Committee at the UK Parliament on the transformation of power in the Middle East and implications for UK policy. An avid supporter of gender balance, in 2007, she founded the not-for-profit organisation ‘Access for Women in Energy’, with the aim of promoting the development of women in the energy sector. She has also supported the development of similar initiatives in Ghana, Tunisia and the UAE, where she sits on ADIPEC’s Advisory Board for Inclusion and Diversity. In 2022, Dr Nakhle featured in the ‘Top 22 Outstanding Women CEOs of 2022’ published by the New York based The Women Leaders. A year earlier, she was selected ‘CEO of the Year’ in the UK, by CEO Monthly Magazine. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Energy Institute and featured on the Energy Council’s list of Top Female Executives in the global energy industry. In 2017, she received the Honorary Professional Recognition Award from the Tunisian Minister of Energy, Mines & Renewable Energy.

Dr. Arif Husain

Chief Economist and Director of Research, Assessments & Monitoring Division, World Food Programme (WFP), Rome | Italy

Dr Arif Husain is Chief Economist and Director of Research, Assessments & Monitoring Division at United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome, Italy. Arif joined WFP in 2003 and since then he has served in many senior positions both in the field and the headquarters. He has also worked for the World Bank and taught at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Arif’s work focuses on analysing food security and welfare conditions in developing countries to inform humanitarian response. His research interests include application of information technologies to improve humanitarian response; understanding linkages between poverty, hunger, conflict and migration; and analysing how global economic shocks impact food security, social protection and emergency and development assistance. Arif has a Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics with a minor in forestry from the University of Minnesota.

Mr. Giuseppe Saba

CEO, International Humanitarian City, Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Chief Executive Officer of International Humanitarian City; Founder of UNHRD Network and former Network Coordinator Appointed as CEO of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City in early March 2017, Giuseppe Saba brings more than 36 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 with more than 90 partners operating in emergency preparedness and response. Saba is an Italian citizen and 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).

HE. Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid

Representative of the Holy See in the High Committee of Human Fraternity, President of the Bambino Gesù Association and the Human Fraternity Foundation | Egypt

Yoannis Lahzi Gaid was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1975. Studied at the Coptic Catholic seminary in Cairo and was ordained priest for Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt in 2001. In 2002 He studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, earning a doctorate in the canon law. In 2006 He edited a volume of texts from the Code of Canon Law for the Eastern Churches. In 2007 He attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See. His assignments included stints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon, and as charge d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciatures to Jordan and Iraq. On 1 July 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him a chaplain of His Holiness with the title monsignor. In 2012 He founded the Arab Section in the Vatican and served as an Arabic translator for Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis at their General Audiences and in meetings with Arabic-speaking diplomats and government officials. In April 2014 Pope Francis appointed him as his Second Personal Secretary. He continues to work for the Secretariat of State as well. His appointment was interpreted as gesture of support for Eastern Catholic churches and dialog with the Arab and Muslim world. In February 2019 Mgr Gaid participated in the Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates, where the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, was signed in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb. In February 2019 His Highness Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, has conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, in recognition of his efforts to guarantee dialogue and coexistence between different religions. In September 2019 Mgr Gaid was named as a member of a Higher Committee of Human Fraternity. He was also named a member of its executive board. In July 2020 Mgr Gaid left his service as Personal Secretary of Pope Francis. He is currently the Representative of the Holy See in the High Committee of Human Fraternity and the President of the Bambino Gesù Association and the Human Fraternity Foundation. In 2022 Mons. Gaid was appointed by Pope Francis as his Personal Representative in the Project of the House of Abraham and Parish Priest of the Church dedicated to St. Francis in this project.

HE. Kerem Kinik

President, Turkish Red Crescent and Former Vice-President, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) | Turkiye

Dr. Kerem Kınık was born in 1970 in the province of Malatya, Turkey. He moved to Istanbul and resided there throughout his academic studies. He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Medicine in 1993 and received his PhD in Disaster Medicine from Bezmialem University. Continuing his career after his studies, Dr. Kınık took various roles and responsibilities. He worked as an administrator at the Ministry of Health and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for many years. Later in his career journey, he undertook duties at the Istanbul Provincial Council as a Councilor and Chairman of the Health Committee. During his time as a Councilor, he represented Istanbul Province at the Committee for Social Policy and Public Health of Assembly of European Regions (AER). Dr. Kınık also served as a General Manager for various domestic and international health and technology companies. Dr. Kınık currently works at University of Health Sciences (SBÜ) as an Assistant Professor, Head of Emergency and Disaster Management and Disaster Medicine programs. Throughout his academic career, he has authored many chapters and essays on disaster medicine, humanitarian aid, migration policies, development, humanitarian law and humanitarian diplomacy in addition to co-authoring books. Dr. Kınık’s admiration and interest in humanitarianism and humanitarian organizations started early in his life going back to his student years. He volunteered with several organizations working in the field of humanitarian aid and protection. During the Kosovo War and the Marmara Earthquake in 1999, Dr. Kınık worked as a voluntary physician. The personal and professional experiences he gained throughout his academic, voluntary, and professional journey led him to Doctors Worldwide Turkey, where he served as the President. There, Dr. Kınık managed various humanitarian aid activities and projects in many conflict and disaster regions, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Palestine, Central African Republic, Niger, Kenya, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, and Uganda, among others. In 2004, Dr. Kınık joined what would be his long journey in the Turkish Red Crescent. He first joined the Turkish Red Crescent as a volunteer, which he carried out honorably. Then, in 2015 he was elected as the Vice President. A year later in 2016, Dr. Kınık was elected as the President of the Turkish Red Crescent, where he initiated numerous breakthroughs and transformations in the organization. As the leader of Turkish Red Crescent, he undertook changes in governance, strategy, and vision, which led to enhanced overall sustainability, operations, and accountability of the National Society. During his term as the President, the Turkish Red Crescent came a long way in terms of restructuring its governance and management as well as institutional development, increasing levels of work, activity, efficiency, and internationalization. With his visionary and change management approach, under Dr. Kınık’s leadership with Governing Board members and senior management leadership team he launched an organizational transformation process to build on the achievements of the past and make significant adaptations to remain relevant, focused, and responsive to the rapidly expanding national and international humanitarian needs. His long journey in academia, private sector and humanitarian organizations led him to the next step when he represented Turkish Red Crescent in the Governing Board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) from 2015 to 2017. Proceeding this, Dr. Kınık decided to carry forward his contributions to the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement through his candidacy for the IFRC Vice Presidency for Europe and Central Asia. In 2017, at the 21st Session of the General Assembly held in Antalya, Dr. Kınık was elected as the IFRC Vice President, where he continues his services. Dr. Kınık is also a strong activist who works hard to combat drug abuse and addiction. Dr Kınık is a Board Member of Green Crescent, which is a Civil Society Organization specializing in the prevention of drug and other substance addictions. With this hat, he contributes to awareness raising and risk reduction programs. Aside from his long and diverse career path, Dr. Kınık has invested his time in different recreational activities. Dr. Kınık is a songwriter musician who composes musical pieces and writes lyrics for songs. He speaks English and intermediate Arabic. Father of three and grandfather of three, Mr. Kınık is married to Hatice Öztürk Kınık, Dt. The Kınık family have a special affection for animals and a deep place in their heart for animals causes.

HE. Sultan Al Shamsi

Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation (MOFAIC), UAE | United Arab Emirates

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs, United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Sultan Al Shamsi is the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs, with over 23 years of experience in governmental organizations and private sector. In addition to providing strategic guidance to the UAE leadership on issues relating to foreign assistance, his current responsibilities include supervising two departments: Foreign Aid Affairs and Technical Cooperation, also he is chairing the Women Empowerment Committee within the Ministry. HE Al Shamsi is also a board member of UAE Water Aid Foundation, a board member of UN OCHA's Advisory Board for Annual Partnership Conference, and board member of DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board (Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference). H.E. Al Shamsi served as the Assistant Under-Secretary for International Development at the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) from 2013-2016, when MICAD was merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At MICAD, HE Al Shamsi was responsible for setting up the new ministry, as well as acting as the lead for the development of the UAE foreign aid policy, and coordinating with the OECD/DAC regarding the documentation, evaluation and policy dialogue. He also acted as the Coordinator of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance, and chaired MICAD’s Innovation Committee and Shaping the Future Committee. H.E. Al Shamsi was the Executive Director (Assistant Under-Secretary) of the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA), from its establishment in 2009 until it became part of MICAD in March 2013. During this time, HE Al Shamsi was responsible for establishing and monitoring the implementation of OCFA’s structure, policies, strategic plans, and programs. H.E. Al Shamsi’s previous roles include acting as: Director of Customer Services & Compliance at the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport; and Support Services Manager at Al Foah Company in Abu Dhabi General Holding Corporation. H.E. Al Shamsi is a graduate of Management Information Systems (MIS) from the UAE University, and holds a Master degree in Business Administration/Information Management from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.

HE. Gerhard Putman-Cramer

CEO, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation | Switzerland

Currently: -Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva; -Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation; -Member, Dubai Council on the Future of Humanitarian Aid (Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives); Higher Council Member of the International Congress for Health Specialties (ICHS); Former member of the Advisory Committee on International Operations of the Swiss Red Cross and of the Board of the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue; former Senior Associate of the Global Humanitarian Forum, Geneva. In his capacity as Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Putman-Cramer provides support to a number of initiatives undertaken by – or aimed at – PAM member states. This involves developing and applying various aspects of parliamentary diplomacy, often as inputs complementary to actions conducted under the auspices of the UN. As the CEO of the DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation, Amb. Putman-Cramer spearheads a number of the Foundation’s initiatives (including the newly created DIHAD College) and elaborates as well as oversees the Conference Programme of the annual DIHAD event (www.dihad.org). The most recent Conference (14-16 March 2022) had as its theme: “SDG 17, Partnerships and Cooperation for Sustainable Development”. 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. Amb. Putman-Cramer is married and has two daughters.