Conference Speakers – 2022

Mr. Abdul Haq Amiri

Section Chief for the MENA region, UN OCHA Geneva | Swaziland

Mr. Amiri has served the United Nations for over 25 years, mainly in the domain of humanitarian and emergency response coordination, preparedness, and recovery. Mr. Amiri is currently working as the Section Chief for the MENA region with OCHA Geneva. Mr. Amiri has worked as Head of OCHA Office in Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Ethiopia, Iraq, KSA, Lebanon and Indonesia. Mr. Amiri has worked as the Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) from 2008 to 2013, and as the Deputy Head of OCHA Office in Indonesia and Sudan 2001- 2005. He has also worked in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and led many UN missions to sudden onset disasters such as the Bam earthquake in Iran, floods in Bangladesh, and volcano in PNG. Mr. Amiri has a Master of Science degree in Social and Applied Economics from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA, and MSC and BSC (Hons) in development economics from International School of Economics in Islamabad, Pakistan. He is fluent in Persian, Pushto, English, Arabic and Urdo.

Ms. Aida Robbana

Head of Office, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Tunisia | Tunisia

Aida Robbana holds a degree from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (IHEC) Carthage in Tunisia and a PhD in International Economics and Management from the University Paris IX Dauphine. She worked as an economist for seven years in an urban planning consultancy in Tunisia where she was senior economist. She then joined the United Nations in Tunisia as an officer in the office of the Resident Coordinator, where she was in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the operations and programs of the 17 UN Agencies with the Tunisian government. Aida speaks 5 languages; during her career, she has supported UN and UNDP country offices in the areas of Results Based Management, Human Rights, Theory of Change and Design Thinking for Development. In January 2020, she joined the UNDP Tunisia office as a Program Specialist for the integration of sustainable development goals and innovation. As of February 1, 2021, Aida joined UN-Habitat as Head of Office in Tunisia.

HE. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari

First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria; President, African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) | Nigeria

Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari is the First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, who led Nigeria 2015 – 2019 and was sworn in for the second term on May 29, 2019, to last till 2023. Mrs. Buhari is now the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) after a successful election in November 2021. Mrs. Buhari has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies (MIASS) from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Public Administration from Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma. H.E holds a Doctorate Degree in Humanities (Honoris Causa) awarded to her by Sun Moon University, South Korea. She is currently undertaking a Counseling Course on Co-Dependency in the United Kingdom. Before acquiring her higher degrees, Mrs. Buhari pursued a career in Beauty and fashion and obtained a Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom, and specialized in Permanent Make-up, Mesotherapy, and Micro-dermabrasion. She also holds a Certificate from a French beauty school, Academie Esthetique in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Japanese Gold Facial and Towel-folding Techniques. In her almost fifteen years in the beauty industry, she trained, mentored, and supported hundreds of Nigerians. She is an advocate of Women and Girl-child education, a passion honed by her experiences growing up in a region where girls and women are educationally disadvantaged. Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari through the Aisha Buhari Foundation, set up the Future Assured Programme to focus attention and make a difference in the lives of women and children by addressing challenges in the area of reproductive, maternal, new-born, child, and adolescent health. She is conscious of the pervasive health outcomes which have remained unchanged over time and the need to complement the effort of the government to facilitate the achievement of better health outcomes. To increase access to maternity services and improve maternal and child health indices in the country, she constructed fully-equipped maternity complexes at the Daura General Hospital, Katsina State, and a similar one at the Federal Medical Center, Yola. Future Assured has also ventured into other issues that harm the livelihood of women thereby increasing these negative health outcomes. These are issues related to education, protection, and empowerment. Her Excellency is at the forefront of the campaign for women and girl-child education; both in school and outside school. She presently supports school girls with tuition and school supplies. Her Excellency has always been on the vanguard of women that have suffered gender-based violence including battery and rape. She has also been an advocate against the rape of minors. She recently declared war against abuse of vulnerable people through a well-attended workshop in Abuja, calling to question and to review, disproportionate punishments against abusers. Her marriage to President Buhari is blessed with five children and five grandchildren. She is a recipient of the World Leadership Prize for her humanitarian activities by Ajou University, South Korea. Some of her awards include NAFDAC Grand Diamond Award for Excellence; National Ambassador for Nutrition; UNAIDS Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Promotion of Treatment for Children living with HIV in Nigeria; UNICEF Global Award of Excellence for Humanitarian Services; Vanguard Woman of the Year 2017; National Champion for Tuberculosis Control in Nigeria; and many others.

Ms. Alessandra Casazza

Resilience Hub Manager, UN Development Programme, Nairobi | Kenya

Alessandra Casazza (from Italy) is a development practitioner and Manager of the UNDP Resilience Hub, in Nairobi. She has over 20 years of experience working with UNDP at country, regional and global level and with the private sector, both in New Zealand and in her home country (Italy). Alessandra served the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa in Addis Ababa for six years (2014-2019) as Team Leader (OiC) of the Inclusive Growth team since May 2019, and as Regional Programme Advisor on Inclusive Growth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prior to moving to the Africa region, Alessandra served as Policy Advisor for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Inclusive Growth at the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Center in Bangkok (2012–2014), and as Policy Specialist on Capacity Development at the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy (BDP), in New York (2008- 2012). Alessandra also served at the country level; in August 2006, she joined UNDP Sri Lanka as Programme Manager and worked very closely with the Ministry of Finance on development planning and the MDGs agenda. She joined UNDP Timor-Leste in 2000 as Programme Officer (JPO), to work on poverty reduction and community development; in Timor-Leste Alessandra worked on a large programme on the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, the return of refugees from West-Timor, infrastructure rehabilitation and rural development. Prior to joining UNDP, Alessandra worked for KPMG Italy as Auditor and Advisor on Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics, where she focused on mainstreaming sustainability into business practices in the extractive industry sector. She began her professional career in New Zealand, working as Auditor at Audit New Zealand, auditing public sector entities on behalf of New Zealand’s Auditor-General. Alessandra has an MSc in development economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, UK, and a laurea magistrale (MSc) in economics and business administration from the University of Perugia, Italy.

Ms. Alice Laugher

CEO, Committed to Good | United Arab Emirates

Alice has grown CTG “Committed To Good” from humble beginnings in Afghanistan in 2006, a company which has enabled humanitarian projects in 21 countries. With over 1,300 staff still operational in Afghanistan today CTG remains an integral member of the humanitarian response operational on the ground, at the community level, both in Afghanistan and in many other fragile and conflict affected countries across the Middle East and Africa. CTG staff implement many humanitarian programmes from human rights monitoring in Yemen, to managing lifesaving food aid in South Sudan, to monitoring the movements of migrants in Libya or facilitating the implementation of mine action programmes in Somalia. CTG’s commitment to the SDGs in particular Goal 16 has become an integral part of its operations and long-term business strategy. Alice leads by example as a passionate advocate for issues that are central to achieving sustainable peace. Promoting the inclusion of local perspectives in global humanitarian conversations, advancing adherence to International Humanitarian Law in the field and driving tangible action towards the Women, Peace and Security Agenda are just some of the ways Alice leads CTG in its commitment to promoting a more peaceful and prosperous world from local communities and up to the global level. In 2019 Alice won the coveted Business for Peace Award and has been recognised by the UN Global Compact as a SDG Pioneer for Empowering Women in Conflict Settings.  

Ms. Ann Encontre

Director, the Ethics Office, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Geneva | Switzerland

Director, the Ethics Office, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Geneva

Ms. Anne-Marie Buzatu

Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, ICT4Peace Foundation | Switzerland

Anne-Marie Buzatu is the Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of ICT4Peace Foundation. She consults with governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector, and provides policy advice in the areas of cyber (human) security policy, preventing violent extremist and terrorist use of the internet, multistakeholder approaches to security sector governance and security sector impacts of private commercial actors. Previously she was Deputy Head of the Public Private Partnerships Divisions of DCAF (The Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance) where she led, under a Swiss government mandate, the development of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC), a multistakeholder initiative which set out international human rights compliant principles and standards for the private security industry. She subsequently led the creation of the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA), the mutistakeholder oversight mechanism for the ICoC, where she also served as Interim Executive Director. An international lawyer by training, she also worked for several years in the information technology sector as a web developer and database administrator. This low-level understanding of information technologies enables her to bridge the expertise divide, translate between policy and technology specialists, and identify pragmatic and effective cybersecurity policy and governance approaches.

Ms. Caroline Dumas

Director General’s Special Envoy for Migration and Climate Action, International Organization for Migration - IOM, Geneva | Switzerland

Caroline Dumas, IOM Director General’s Special Envoy for Migration and Climate Action is a French career diplomat who served in different countries and continents (Africa, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and United States). Her expertise is mainly on Africa and MENA region, on political, as well as on humanitarian and development issues. She has been Ambassador of France to Iceland, Jordan and Chile. Before that, she served in South-Africa, Kenya, Paris, Spain and United States. As Deputy Director general for Africa in Paris (2006-2009), she participated in different regional and international negotiations, including as a representative of the French presidency of the EU Council, in 2008. In 2018, she was Secretary general of a ministerial event between Latin America and France, then was a senior member of the French delegation to 73rd UNGA. Before joining IOM, she was the Ombudsperson for the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign affairs (2019-2021).

Mr. Claus Sorensen

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

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. David Kaatrud

Global Director of Programme for Humanitarian and Development Action, World Food Programe | Italy

Mr David Kaatrud is WFP’s Global Director of Programme for humanitarian and development action, based in WFP’s headquarters in Rome. Mr Kaatrud currently leads the organization’s portfolio in several areas, including Climate Action, Food Systems, Resilience, Peace & Conflict, Protection and Social Protection, among others. Previously, Mr Kaatrud served in Bangkok as WFP’s Regional Director for Asia & the Pacific Bureau. In addition, he has held various senior level positions in Emergencies, Assessment & Analysis, and Logistics over the years, having a lead role in building WFP’s internal response capacity, developing key strategic partnerships and strengthening inter-agency coordination. Mr. Kaatrud has been instrumental in launching coordinated humanitarian efforts that have since become reputable core structures in the sector; including establishing the UN Joint Logistics Center, which later developed into the Logistics Cluster, and managing its response for the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and during the post 9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr Kaatrud has been involved in leading humanitarian and development work for the past 30 years, having also worked with CARE in east and Southern Africa, and with OCHA in New York, with extensive experience in spearheading and coordinating operations across the globe in natural disaster, conflict and developmental settings. More recently, He has served as WFP’s focal point for the recently concluded UN Food Systems Summit. Mr Kaatrud holds two master’s degrees in International Affairs/Economic Development and from Columbia University and Urban & Regional Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Dorothee Klaus

Director of Relief and Social Services, UNRWA | Jordan

Ms. Klaus has served as the UNRWA Director of the Relief and Social Services Programme since 2017. For the past 20 years, she has worked in the United Nations system in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Her contributions to the humanitarian response system have focused on coordinating inter-agency assessments and strategic research, developing the resilience concept in the aftermath of the 2013 Horn of Africa crisis, the introduction of cash assistance programmes, and professionalization of community based social work. Dorothée Klaus holds a Master’s of Arts degree in ethnology and philosophy, a Master’s degree in international humanitarian assistance and a PhD in geography. Her doctoral thesis on Palestinians in Lebanon has been published.

HE. Dr. 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

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.

HE. Eynat Shlein

Head of MASHAV, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel | Israel

Eynat Shlein 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. 11/2020 - Head of MASHAV, Israel's agency for International Development Cooperation 2019-2020 - Deputy Director General for African Affairs 2018-2019 – Special Envoy for Community Outreach, North American Affairs Division 2015-2017 - Ambassador of Israel to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 2010 -2015 - Head of Bureau for International affairs in the Center for Political Research in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from 2014 also the Deputy Director of the center. In these capacities, she supervised the research work of the center's analysts, focusing on international affairs and their impact on the Middle East 2008-2010 - Director of Maghreb, Syria and Lebanon affairs 2003-2008 - Minister-Counselor for Middle Eastern affairs at the embassy of Israel in Washington DC, following US foreign policy vis-à-vis the Middle East, as well as bilateral relations with relevant countries 2000-2003 - senior analyst, Center for Political Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1997-1999 - Consul at the Consulate General of Israel to New England, in Boston, MA 1995-1997 - Second Secretary for Political affairs at the embassy of Israel in Amman, Jordan, as well as the acting Commercial Attaché’ Ms. Shlein holds the career rank of an Ambassador in the Foreign Service Education: Master in Public Administration (2000), Kennedy School of Governmnet, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Major area of concentration: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. Bachelor in Middle Eastern History, magna cum laude (1991), Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Ms. Fairuz Taqi-Eddin

Chief of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, UNICEF Gulf Area Office | United Arab Emirates

In summer 2020, Ms. Fairuz Taqi -Eddin joined UNICEF Gulf Area Office as the Chief of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization based in Dubai. In her capacity, Fairuz heads the UNICEF Dubai office and overseas UNICEF’s Gulf Area partnerships and resource mobilization operations for both private and public sectors. Prior to joining UNICEF, Fairuz served as UNRWA’s Sr. External Relations Officer and managed government relations for UNRWA in the Gulf region. She also served as the Director of Fundraising and Partnerships at Jordan River Foundation; a leading Jordanian NGO founded by HM Queen Rania Bin Abdullah. Fairuz spent 11 years of her career working for CARE USA. During her time with CARE, she held various senior roles in the USA, Egypt and Jordan. In her last five years with CARE, Fairuz was the Regional Director of Partnerships in the Gulf region where she established CARE’s presence in the Arab Gulf countries. As a volunteer for several philanthropic organizations, Fairuz served as a Chairwoman of Capoeira for Refugees, a UK Charity that teaches capoeira to children and youth who are the victims of conflict in the Middle East region. She also served as an advisory board member of Spark, a San Francisco based organization that supports women global issues. Fairuz holds an MA in International Relations.

HE. Gennaro Migliore

President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) | Italy

President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM)

HE. Gerda Verburg

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Coordinator, Scaling-Up Nutrition, Geneva | Switzerland

Since August 2016, Gerda Verburg (The Netherlands) has served as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, working with the 64 country governments that lead the SUN Movement, united with UN agencies, civil society, business and donors, in a common mission to defeat malnutrition in all its forms. She was appointed by the UN Secretary-General based on her extensive experience in politics and international cooperation. Prior to her appointment, she served as Chair of the Agenda Council for Food and Nutrition of the World Economic Forum (WEF), 2014; was elected as Chair of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), 2013, and served as Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations Rome-based agencies (FAO, IFAD and WFP) from 2011. Ms. Verburg was elected as Chair of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 17) in 2008, following her appointment the previous year as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, renewed the position held by Gerda Verburg as Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement for a third term, effective from 1 August 2020.

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;  CEO, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation;  Consultant, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs;

Mr. Giuseppe Saba

CEO, International Humanitarian City (IHC), Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Chief Executive Officer of the International Humanitarian City Founder of UNHRD Network and former Network Coordinator Giuseppe Saba has been the CEO of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City since March 2017. With over 34 years of extensive experience in the humanitarian field with the United Nations and international organizations, he is one of the most leading logistics and support services expert. He is also the founder of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot Network (UNHRD). In 2000, he set up, with the support of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the first UNHRD in Brindisi, south-east of Italy. This served as a consortium of UN Agencies and international humanitarian organizations, which include governmental and non-governmental entities. Following the experience acquired during the emergency response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, he developed and expanded UNHRD into the extensive network it is today, by opening hubs and negotiating agreements with various hosting governments in Dubai, Malaysia, Ghana, Spain and Panama. As a result of his efforts, the UNHRD became one of the largest international humanitarian platforms consisting of approximately 90 partners 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).

Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi

Regional Director, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC, Middle East & North Africa | United Arab Emirates

Dr Hossam Elsharkawi has over 30 years of professional experience in the humanitarian world, spanning assignments in more than 35 countries, comprising volunteer and professional work with many National Societies, ICRC and IFRC. He was previously Vice President of Health in Emergencies, Learning and Innovation at the Canadian Red Cross, where he led the preparedness and response for complex humanitarian emergencies. Previously, Dr Hossam worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop guidance for medical teams responding to health emergencies in armed conflict and insecure environments. Dr Hossam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Biochemistry, from City University in London, United Kingdom, a Certificate in Healthcare Management from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. degree in Health Management from Alberta University in Canada. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia and guest faculty at McGill and McMaster Universities. He teaches disaster response and healthcare in complex humanitarian crises. Dr Hossam is from Canada.

Mr. Jacob Waslander

Netherlands Envoy to the Middle East and North Africa for Water, Energy and Food | Netherlands

Jacob Waslander is the Dutch envoy to the Middle East and North Africa for Water, Energy and Food. His office is in Amman, Jordan and he works with embassy teams across the MENA region. He a results-oriented leader and manager in the field of finance, multilateral affairs and sustainability/ climate action. He combines strategic vision with a “can-do” attitude towards operational challenges. His strong points include problem solving, teambuilding, “out of the box” thinking, developing policy solutions and mobilizing support for them. Jacob held positions in the following domains: EU , UN, World Bank, Africa, private sector development, financial sector reforms and sustainability/ climate action. Most recently, Jacob worked a senior associate with the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington DC, where

HE. Jagan Chapagain

Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) | Switzerland

Jagan Chapagain is the Secretary General of the IFRC. He was appointed by the IFRC Governing Board in February 2020 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Jagan has extensive experience in, and broad knowledge of, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. He began his career as a youth volunteer with the Nepal Red Cross where he represented and advocated on behalf of communities. An engineer by training, Jagan has spent more than 25 years working across Europe and Asia for the IFRC. Prior to being appointed Secretary General, he served as Under Secretary General for Programmes and Operations and guided our relief and development efforts around the world. He was also previously Chief of Staff and Director of the Asia Pacific region, where he provided leadership during large-scale humanitarian crises and built resilient communities in partnership with National Societies and regional partners. Jagan holds a degree in Engineering and certificates in Leadership and turnaround management and Emerging social sector leadership. A national of Nepal, he is fluent in Nepalese, English and Hindi and has basic knowledge of Urdu and Russian.

HE. Janaina Tewaney Mencomo

Minister of Government, Republic of Panama | Panama

Her Excellency Janaina Tewaney Mencomo is currently the Minister of Government of the Republic of Panama. Appointed by President Laurentino Cortizo in March 2020, her time as minister has been marked by the fight against the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in some of the country's key areas, such as the country's indigenous regions and the penitentiary system, both of which have seen some of the lowest levels of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the region. After hurricanes Eta and Iota devastated huge swathes of Western Panama in November 2020, she led an interagency modernization effort for the country's Civil Protection System, which led to the creation of an Integrated Disaster Risk Management Cabinet, a unified top-level decision making body to streamline and optimize Panama's Risk Management structure. Minister Tewaney was previously a close Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Panama’s foreign policy strategies relating to security, and the President of the country's Official Missions abroad. She has also served as an independent consultant on International Trade and International Policy and as an International Policy Analyst on terrorism financing, geopolitics, security, and water diplomacy at Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) in India. She has worked as a Research Analyst on topics of International Humanitarian Law, Nuclear Disarmament, International Mediation and Arbitration, Chemical and Conventional Weapons at the University of Hong Kong. In 2009 she served as a negotiating lawyer at the Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama, participating on the negotiations of the Free Trade Agreements between Panama and many of its commercial partners. Mrs. Tewaney is a graduate in Law and Political Science from the University of Panama, in addition to holding two master's degrees, in Public International Law from the Free University of Brussels and in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Law from the University of Hong Kong.

HE. Janez Lenarcic

European Commissioner for Crisis Management | Switzerland

Mr. Janez Lenarčič is currently serving as Commissioner for Crisis Management in the European Commission, which took up the mandate in December 2019. In this capacity, he is responsible for EU civil protection as well as humanitarian aid, with an overall focus on ensuring that European Commission has the tools and the capacity to respond swiftly and efficiently whenever the EU is called upon, whether in Europe or elsewhere in the world. Prior to this assignment, Mr Lenarcic has served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the EU in Brussels from 2016. Before and as of 2014, he held the Secretary of State position in the cabinet of the Slovenian Prime Minister. His previous experience also entails the position of Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw from 2008 to 2014. He also served as Secretary of State for European Affairs, including representing Slovenia during the Lisbon Treaty negotiations in 2007 and later representing the Slovenian EU Council Presidency to the European Parliament in 2008. In 2002 and 2003 he held the position of State Secretary in the cabinet of the Slovenian Prime Minister, after which he started to serve as Slovenian ambassador to the OSCE. In 2005, he was also Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OSCE in Vienna. In 2000 he started serving as adviser to the foreign minister and the following year he became the diplomatic adviser to the then Slovenian Prime Minister. Between 1994 and 1999 he was posted to Slovenia’s Permanent Representation to UN in New York, where he also served as the alternate representative of Slovenia on the UN Security Council. Mr. Lenarčič is the recipient of France's highest award as Officier de la Legion d'Honneur. Next to his native Slovenian his languages are English, French and Serbian. Mr. Lenarčič holds a degree in international law from Ljubljana University.

Mr. Laurens de Groot

Social Entrepreneur and Environmental Activist, Amsterdam | Netherlands

Laurens is a social entrepreneur and environmental activist. After almost a decade at the Dutch police as a crime investigator, he started campaigning against poaching of endangered species. He battled against illegal whaling in Antarctica and rhino poaching in Africa. To generate more impact, Laurens also founded a number of innovative companies. He co-founded Skycap, a drone company specialized in environmental inspections (acquired by Terra Drones), Silverback Protein, and Smart Parks which provides high-tech solutions for park management in rural areas, mostly Africa. In addition, Laurens worked as press officer inbelow. the Dutch House of Representatives, made various programs for Discovery Channel and is the author of the book Hunting the hunters. In 2018, he received the Tech for Global Good Laureate from the Silicon Valley Museum of Innovation. Recently, Laurens co-founded the International Center for Future Generations to improve resilience to exponential technologies and the consequential existential risks by providing urgent insights and actionable policy recommendations to the European Union and its partners.

Dr. Luay Shabaneh

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

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.

Dr. Manal Mohammad Taryam

CEO Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority and CEO, Noor Dubai Foundation | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Manal Taryam, made a notable impact on the healthcare sector. Leading Primary Health Care and contributing to the ranking of the Emirates No.1 in Satisfaction with availability of Quality Healthcare” according to Gallup Report 2019, and “Economic implications of an ageing population” according to IMD Competitiveness Yearbook 2018 and “Vaccination coverage index” by Legatum Report 2018. She is Executive President of the International Scientific Alliance for Family Medicine. She recently got nominated to chair a Global Council on SDG. Her impact surpassed boarders, as she touched lives of people globally, in her capacity as CEO & Member of the board of Trustee at Noor Dubai Foundation, a member charity in the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives that specializes in fighting all forms of avoidable and curable blindness and visual disabilities around the world. Since its launch in 2008, the Foundation worked successfully with governments and NGOs in Asia and Africa as it succeeded in reaching out to over 30 million beneficiaries, distributing 92 million doses of medicine, conducting 390,581 surgeries, training 266,227 healthcare providers in 18 different countries. She was awarded for her humanitarian efforts by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2018 in addition to receiving the international Stevie Awards in 2019 for “Best CEO in nonprofit organization”. She has received 28 awards, including Sheikh Rashid Awards for Scientific Excellence and Distinguished Government Employee, at the Dubai Government Excellence Program- 2006. 0506868888 Dubai- United Arab Emirates Contact Languages Arabic (mother language) - English (fluent) - German (intermediate) - mmOmran@dha.gov.ae She supervised 127 strategic initiatives that contributed in raising happiness of over 1 million patients annually. More recently, she has received the 2021 Silver Award at the “International Business Awards” for the category “Healthcare Technology Solutions” for the initiative “Doctor for Every Citizen” a smart telemedicine platform that provided virtual consultations to patients in the UAE and Emiratis abroad. The initiative had a role in supporting the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Entrusted by leadership, she was assigned to lead the Dubai Disability Strategy inclusive healthcare taskforce, in an effort to make Dubai a disability friendly city. She also led the Dubai 10X project from which 2 strategic programs were initiated, the early warning and response system, a public health prediction platform which targets Global Emergencies in Health care, and the Dubai Genome Project, which will revolutionize medicine in UAE and promote personalized medicine. Dr. Manal Taryam, believes in an international world, she had the opportunity of studying and working in multi-cultural environments. Dr. Taryam graduated from Dubai Medical College in 1997, then traveled to Germany to complete her postgraduate studies in Ophthalmology, by 2006 she obtained a fellowship degree in Retinal Surgery from the University of Cologne In 2007, Dr. Taryam returned to Dubai to establish the first Retinal medical services at a government hospital and in 2008 she was appointed Medical Director of Noor Dubai Foundation. Her work in Noor Dubai involved the prevention and control of blinding diseases as well as empowering healthcare providers for sustainable quality healthcare. Dr. Taryam has been keen on supporting the SDGs in all the programs with direct impact on SDG 3, and indirect impact on SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 6 and SDG 17

Mr. Marco Albertini

Partnerships Operation Coordinator, Near/Middle East Regions, ICRC | Switzerland

With a background in Environmental Engineering and an Executive Master in business administration, Marco has 20 years of international experience in the management of humanitarian programs for the delivery of essential services to populations in armed conflict. He joined the ICRC in 2005 and undertook field missions coordinating operations in Ethiopia, Pakistan, Palestine, Mauritania, Philippines, Lebanon, South Sudan. In 2015, he was awarded as Distinguished Alumnus at Politecnico Engineering faculty in Milano. Between 2019 and 2021 he was the “knowledge and partnerships manager” for the engineering team of the ICRC at HQ, focusing on collaborations for knowledge exchange with private sector and academia and launching the setup of “water and energy” hubs. Currently he is the ICRC Partnerships Operations Coordinator for the Near and Middle East Region, leading collaboration initiatives for sustainable humanitarian impact with Development Actors and the RCRC Movement.

Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Yammahi

Speaking on behalf of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority | United Arab Emirates

Director, UAE Red Crescent Authority, Dubai

Ms. Monica Ramos

Global Wash Cluster Coordinator, UNICEF, Geneva | Switzerland

Monica Ramos is the Global WASH Cluster Coordinator with UNICEF, based in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a dedicated and multifaceted professional with 20 years’ international experience in roles ranging from country-level programme manager to global level strategic advisor and donor providing specialized expertise in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. She has a diverse range of professional experience, including working with international organisations (ACF, Oxfam GB, CARE, Save the Children UK, UNICEF); global coordination mechanisms (Global WASH Cluster and Global Task Force for Cholera Control); and donor agencies (EU/ECHO and USAID/BHA). She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S. in Water and Waste Engineering. She is dual national from Mexico and the United States, and is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

Dr. Mukesh Kapila

Professor Emeritus, Global Health & Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester | 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”. www.mukeshkapila.org Twitter @mukeshkapila

Dr. Nada Malou

Antibiogo Clinical Lead, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) | USA

Nada Malou, PhD in microbiology is MSF’s microbiologist and clinical lead of the Antibiogo project. Nada is specialized in identification and implementation of microbiology diagnostic tools in low and middle income countries. She’s clinical lead of Antibiogo which aims to fight the spread of antimicrobial resistance and ensure equal access to correct diagnosis around the world.

Mr. Ovais Sarmad

Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Climate Change Secretariat, Bonn | Germany

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

HE. Panos Moumtzis

United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director, Global Executive Leadership Initiative (GELI) | Switzerland

Panos is a humanitarian practitioner and executive leadership coach, with over 30 years of experience working in humanitarian emergencies primarily in Africa and the Middle East. He has served the United Nations in various capacities including as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator - ASG for the Syria crisis (2017-2019), as Director of the IASC Peer to Peer initiative (2013-2017), as UNHCR’s Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Syria situation (2012 - 2013), as Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya (2011), and as Director for UNRWA Syria (2006 - 2009). Panos is a firm believer in the role that ethical leadership plays in creating transformation; for oneself, one’s team and most importantly, for the people we serve.

Mr. Patrick van der Loo

Regional President for Africa and the Middle East, Pfizer | United Arab Emirates

Patrick was appointed in December 2020 to lead commercial operations for AfME and bring breakthroughs across all key therapy areas, including vaccines, oncology, rare diseases, internal medicine, hospitals, and inflammation and immunology. Patrick's Pfizer experience spans more than 20 years in leadership roles with multiple successes across geographies. While completing his degree in International Management, Patrick started his career in the healthcare industry, where he finished a thesis on developing Mexico's generics industry in the early 1990s. This is where Patrick developed a deep interest in the sector. Patrick subsequently held several roles across Europe, Canada, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and New York within multiple departments. He has managed some of the largest therapeutic areas in cardiovascular and neuroscience globally and led the commercial development efforts of a 500+ molecule business. Patrick also led Pfizer's 'Essential Health' division for Asia and, along with 3,100 colleagues, strived to improve global health by making Pfizer medicines increasingly accessible to patients. In his new role at Pfizer AfME, Patrick is looking forward to continuing his journey and bringing breakthroughs to address unmet patient needs. Together with his team, he seeks even more robust collaborations with healthcare professionals, communities, and governments to help change the lives of millions of people in the region. Patrick served on the board of directors of the US-ASEAN Business Council and has spoken at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the World Economic Forum (WEF). Before AfME, Patrick was the Cluster Lead of Developed Asia & General Manager Pfizer Japan for the Hospital Business Unit. Patrick speaks English, Dutch, German, Spanish and French and is passionate about healthcare, innovation, executive leadership, change management, personal and collective development.

Ms. Raabia A.K. Hawa

Founder, Ulinzi Africa Foundation, Kenya; Founder, Walk with Rangers Initiative | Kenya

Born in Kenya in 1982 Rabia Hawa has over 10 years of experience working in the field of wildlife conservation with rangers. In 2014 she led a 25- day cross-country trek from Arusha, Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya. Her famed 500km & “Walk With Rangers” saw a 71% reduction in the perception among young Kenyans that rangers were involved in the scourge of elephant poaching that had gripped the region during that time. Young Kenyans now saw rangers as more than a man in green uniform, rangers were finally being recognised as brave Kenyans on the front lines, sacrificing time with their own families to protect wildlife for future generations. Due to the success of this trek, Hawa was able to successfully launch East Africa’s first nonprofit aimed at ranger empowerment, welfare and facilitation- Ulinzi Africa Foundation. Through UAF, Hawa has raised considerable awareness on the challenges faced by rangers on the ground and provided greatly needed training and gear support to over 250 rangers across Kenya. Aside from her active involvement on the ground, Hawa was also a notable contributor to the legislative amendments in the historic wildlife act in Kenya and was appointed Kenya wildlife service honorary warden in 2011 by the ministry of forestry and wildlife. She is also a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow, completing her fellowship under the young African leaders initiative at the Goldman school of public policy UC Berkeley Hawa was among five handpicked wildlife conservationists who participated in a conversation with civil society hosted by President Barack Obama in 2015. Today, she works alongside the communities and her own team of rangers in Kenya’s Tana Delta region to protect critical biodiversity and habitat from poaching and deforestation. She has successfully joint forces with the Kenya Wildlife Service to achieve her goal to secure and stabilise the area through conservation. Hawa spends her time patrolling dense forests alongside her team, tracking poachers and helping wildlife and community members in need.

Dr. Rana Hajjeh

Director, Programme Management, World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office | Egypt

Dr Hajjeh is a senior public health leader with over 27 years’ experience in global health, infectious diseases epidemiology, health policy and diplomacy, and health management, especially in the Middle East Region. Dr Hajjeh is currently holding the position of the Director of Programme Management at the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office since April 2019 (i.e. deputy regional director for technical issues). Dr Hajjeh holds a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, and is American board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.

Mr. Rein Paulsen

Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Italy

BIOGRAPHY Mr Rein Paulsen was appointed, Director of Office of Emergencies and Resilience, effective 1 June 2021. Mr Paulsen, a national of Norway, holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Andrews University in the United States. Prior to joining FAO, Mr Paulsen served as Director ad interim of the Coordination Division at the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, Switzerland. In this role within OCHA’s Top Management Team, he was responsible for the Response Services Branch, the Assessment Planning and Monitoring Branch, as well as the Inter-Agency Services Branch of OCHA. He served as Head of OCHA’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama City, Panama, from 2018 to 2020. He joined OCHA in 2015, as Head of Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa. With experience in the non-governmental organization (NGO) sector before joining the UN, he started his career in 1996 as Technical Assistant at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International in Maryland, United States, before moving to his first field assignment working on food security activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 1999, he joined World Vision International (WVI) as Programme Officer in the Global Rapid Response Team based in San Jose, Costa Rica. In 2002, he served as Humanitarian Advisor with the UN in Kigali, Rwanda. Between 2003 and 2005, he returned to the WVI as Regional Manager of the multi-country Southern Africa Food Security Emergency Response, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2004, he was Operations Director of the WVI Asia Tsunami Response, based in Singapore, and, subsequently, Director of Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, in Washington DC, United States. Between 2008 and 2015, he held a number of leadership responsibilities at the WVI. His final role, prior to joining OCHA, was Senior Director of Humanitarian Quality, Strategy and Policy at WVI at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

HE. Robert Mardini

Director-General, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) | Switzerland

Robert Mardini is Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since March 2020. As head of the Directorate, he is responsible for steering the organisation’s global humanitarian activities and its 20,000 staff in more than 100 countries. Holder of a master’s degree in civil engineering and hydraulics, Robert began his ICRC career in 1997 coordinating Water & Habitat programmes in Rwanda and Iraq. Since then he has fulfilled a variety of high-level positions, including Deputy Director-General (2010-2012), Regional Director for the Near & Middle East (2012-2018) and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and Head of Delegation in New York (2018-2020). In 2021, Robert was elected to the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) in recognition of his ability to mobilise teams to provide effective emergency aid to victims of major armed conflicts. Robert is a dual Lebanese-Swiss citizen. He is married and has two daughters.

Ms. Roula Al Mourad

President, AFAQ, Lebanon | Lebanon

Rola Mourad is the founder of AFAQ (Horizon), a Lebanese community-based organization that has been operating in Akkar – North of Lebanon for over 20 years. She has a long and prolific career in the humanitarian field, with a focus on community development and women empowerment. She is well known for her advocacy and plays a major role in the development the women's rights and women in politics in Lebanon. She founded the first political party in Lebanon run by a woman, and was also a candidate in the last parliamentary elections heading an all-women list of candidates. She holds a B.A. in French Literature from the University of Balamand – Lebanon and a diploma for a Diplomatic Consultant from the Cairo Regional Center for Training and Arbitration.

HE. Saleh Hamad Al-Tuwaijri

Secretary-General, Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO) | Saudi Arabia

• Dr Saleh Hamad Al-Tuwaijri, Secretary-General of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross. • holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Portland State University in the United States of America He earn a PhD in Education and Psychology from the University of Oregon, Eugene, USA. 1985. • Worked as a teacher at King Khalid Military College, King Saud University, training and research Centre Applied. • Worked as a general director of training and scholarship, and general director of organization and methods at the Ministry of Health, and then undersecretary of the Ministry of health, assistant to curative medicine. • Worked as vice president of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in the beginning, 1417. • Worked as president of the Saudi Red Crescent Commission commissioned from 1425-1427. • Dr. Al-Tuwaijri is currently Secretary-General of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization. • The author has presented many specialized kinds of research, published a number of them, and presented them to conferences and in-house and external seminars. • Co-authored a course in general psychology with one of his colleagues to be taught in the health institutes, formerly under the Ministry of Health in 1415. • Authored a book (They Ask You About Management) in 1432. • Published a book (Volunteering Culture and Organization) in 1434. • Authored the book Disasters, Crises, Planning, Readiness and Management in 1439. • Co-author, review and supervise some research, scientific books and academic letters. • Al- Tuwaijri has served as a member of several local and international councils and committees in the areas of relief, health and social, such as: • Member of the Executive Board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. • Member of the Advisory Board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. • Member of the Advisory Council of The Arab Crescent and Red Cross Societies. • Member of the Health Services Council of Saudi Arabia. • Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Disabled Children. • Member of the Committee of Friends of Patients in Riyadh. • Chairman and member of several external relief committees. • Member of the Central Hajj Committee. • Former Chairman of the Standing National Committee on International Humanitarian Law in Saudi Arabia. • Chaired the committees working on the hajj participating from the Saudi Red Crescent For nearly 20 years. • Member of many voluntary charities. • chief editor in the Ambulance journal from its founding in 1418 until 1429.

Ms. Sara Al Nuaimi

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

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 Madrasa e-Learning Platform, the 100 Million Meals campaign, the Arab Reading Challenge, 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. Latest success: 100 Million Meals Campaign In numbers: • 216 million meals secured in less than a month • Food distribution in 30 countries • Partnerships with 12 food banks and 9 humanitarian organizations including WFP • 385,000 donors from 51 countries, thanks to fundraising campaigns

Dr. Sayeda Ali Ahmed Khalil

National Climate Change Expert and REDD+ Coordinator, Sudan | Sudan

National Climate Change Expert and REDD+ Coordinator, Sudan

HE. Sergio Piazzi

Secretary General, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) | United Arab Emirates

Secretary General, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM)

Dr. Shereen El Feki

Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), UNAIDS | Belgium

Shereen El Feki is Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at UNAIDS. She is also the author of Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World (Penguin Random House), a groundbreaking study of sexuality and its intersection with politics, religion and culture across MENA. Before joining UNAIDS, Shereen was a Regional Director with Promundo, where she led the International Men and Gender Equality Survey Middle East and North Africa (IMAGES MENA), a pioneering study of men, masculinities and gender roles across seven countries in the region. Shereen has previously served as Vice-Chair of the UN’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law, as well as working as a presenter with Al Jazeera and Healthcare Correspondent at The Economist. Shereen is also an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Global Health at Chatham House, and a TED Global Fellow. She started her career with a BSc from the University of Toronto and an MPhil and PhD in molecular immunology from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi

Acting Director-General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi joined ICBA as Deputy Director General in August 2019. She has 20 years of executive and leadership experience in higher education institutions, developing services and strategies through innovation, research, and capacity development. As a social scientist, in her current role with ICBA, Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi promotes for sustaining food security systems and modernization of agriculture through capacity development, women and youth engagement, as well as agripreneurship. She has launched several programs focused on capacity development such as the ICBA’s Youth Engagement Society (ICBA YES) and contributed to the development of the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) fellowship program and the training of AWLA fellows. Dr. Alzaabi has also presented ICBA’s research-for-development work at many major international conferences and forums, including the international workshop on land degradation and habitat loss on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia; the international workshop titled “Emergent Materials & Water Energy Nexus: Concepts, Methodologies and Future Applications” by The Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA); and the Global 24-hour Digital Marathon: Food for Earth by FAO, the Future Food Institute and FAO E-learning Academy. She was also part of the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics workshop organized by OIC to support women in STEM education. Dr. Alzaabi serves on advisory committees and groups, including the UAE’s Ag-Tech Development Committee, which aim to transform the country’s agricultural technology sector and enhance domestic food security, and the Global SME Policy Network (GSPN), which is a global initiative that aims to provide data-driven policies for government and international organizations for SMEs from G20 countries. She has participated in International Forum on Innovation in Agri-Food Systems by FAO to achieve the SDGs which intended to bring model examples of innovation and digital solutions to support smallholder farmers and Agripreneurs. Prior to joining ICBA, she was Director of Dubai Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology. She is also an edupreneur and a winner of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum SME Award as Businesswoman of the Year 2015. And currently was a winner of the Emirates Women Award 2020 as for the category of Best Career Achievements. Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program (Executive Leadership) and is certified as a trainer by the UAE Government Leaders Program to represent the UAE internationally and deliver training to local and foreign governments. She holds a Ph.D. in Education (Management and Educational Leadership) from the British University of Dubai and an Executive MBA in Business Administration with honors from the University of Sharjah and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration from Higher Colleges of Technology. Dr. Tarifa A. Alzaabi has represented the UAE in various local and international conferences and has co-authored several education-focused studies and academic papers.

Dr. Waleed Al Ali

Advisor, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Waleed Al Ali – Waleed Al-Ali is an advisor at Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives (MBRGI) where he is in charge of a number of initiatives including The Digital School Initiative, Madrasa.org e-learning initiative and the coordinator for Dubai Future Council for Humanitarian Aid. Dr. Waleed experience in the areas of strategic planning, innovation management, and Digital Education. Dr.Waleed has worked with leading private and public organizations in UAE including Dubai Holding, UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, Engineers Office of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mohammed Bin Rashid’s Smart Learning Program. Dr.Waleed holds PhD in Project and Innovation Management, Master’s degree in IT Management and Bachelor’s degree in Information Security.

Mr. Yannick Du Pont

Chief Executive Officer, SPARK, Amsterdam | Netherlands

Founder and director of SPARK, Yannick has been working in the field of higher education & economic development in post-conflict countries since 1994. 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 supports growth oriented SMEs and facilitates youth job creation in conflict affected states in primarily East Africa & the Horn, North Africa & the Middle East (Syria crisis, Palestine and Yemen) and Afghanistan. Programmes provide access to higher (vocational) education and jobs to refugees and host communities. Next to his work at Spark, Yannick du Pont also serves on the Board of the Max van der Stoel Foundation (Amsterdam), Advisory Board of the Centre of Theory of Change (New York) and the International Advisory Board of the DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation (Dubai).