Saturday, March 09, 2019
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, the 6th Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC 2019), being held by the UAE National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, (NCEMA) is set to start on Monday with the theme “Future Foresight of Emergencies and Crises: Capabilities and Challenges” at St. Regis Resort, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi....
Saturday, March 09, 2019
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, the 6th Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC 2019), being held by the UAE National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, (NCEMA) is set to start on Monday with the theme “Future Foresight of Emergencies and Crises: Capabilities and Challenges” at St. Regis Resort, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi.
H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Hosani, Director-General of NCEMA, said over two days (March11-12), the conference will shed light on the future of emergency management in light of increasing threats and risks and will work on introducing ways of how to benefit from smart technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) in forecasting crises, promoting risk management and reducing their impact.
A significant number of senior officials from national, regional and international institutions involved in security, emergency and crises are participating in the conference alongside elite experts and specialists with extensive practical and academic experience in crisis and disaster management who made huge efforts in crisis recovery, he said.Dr. Al Hosani emphasized that the wise leaders of the United Arab Emirates are highly keen on bolstering cooperation and partnerships with other states in the area of crisis and emergency management, exploring relevant perceptions, exploring ways of employing modern technology and techniques and AI applications in crisis and emergency management while also benefiting from the experience of other states in recovering from crises and disasters.”
He further said that organizing CEMC emanates from the keen interest of NCEMA in furthering its role and capabilities for countering emergencies, crises and disasters thus improving performance and response capacity in the United Arab Emirates with the ultimate goal of safeguarding the state’s security, stability, gains and great achievements.
The director of NCEMA also emphasized that awareness of the importance of cooperation and teamwork at the international level towards shaping a new future for crisis and emergency management in light of increasing challenges, and keenness on promoting knowledge of modern systems and methods to counter potential emergency scenarios, are what prompted NCEMA to choose the theme “Future Foresight of Emergencies and Crises: Capabilities and Challenges” for this year’s conference.
A number of ministers, senior crisis and emergency management officials from the UAE, other states in the region and beyond are taking part in the conference alongside experts, specialists and stakeholders from the UAE and overseas.
On the first day of CEMC 2019, key speeches will be delivered by HE Aleksandr Khudoleev First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations, Belarus, and Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE.
Later, the First Session, titled “Policies and Frameworks for Reducing the Risk of Disasters, will be held to discuss and explore three major topics in three meetings, with the first revolving around “Policies and Frameworks for Reducing the Risk of Disasters: The Sendai Framework”. It will be moderated by Kirsi Madi, Director, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. The second will tackle the topic of “Governance in the Crisis and Emergency System” and will be moderated by John Hamilton, a consultant in emergency management, business continuity planning and crisis leadership in New Zealand. The third will revolve around “Policies for Managing Medical Emergencies and Disasters”, and will be moderated by Dr. Dalia Samhouri, Program Area Manager, Health Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations at the Cairo-based WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO).
The second session will be dedicated for discussing preparedness for major events, and lessons learnt from crisis recovery. It will include three meetings that will tackle three main topics.
During the first one, participants will explore global high-profile experiences of other countries such as Italy and its hosting of Expo Milan 2015. It will be moderated by Piero Galli, Director General of Milano Expo 2015. The second will revolve around “Preparedness for Expo 2020 Dubai” and will be moderated by Ret. Colonel Ali Khalifa Al Ghais, Head of Security for Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau at Dubai Events Security Committee.
The third meeting will tackle ways of ensuring smooth flow of crowds during the Hajj pilgrimage. Moderator of the meeting is Dr. Brigadier-General Hani AL Nabulsi, a consultant of crowd management and safety form Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On the First day of CEMC 2019, a number of workshops will be held to discuss vital topics in the crisis, disaster and emergency management. The first workshop will address the role of individuals in emergency-responses and will introduce the UAE’s National Volunteer Program for Emergencies, Crises and Disasters. It will be moderated by Gregory A. Forrester, Head of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD). The second workshop will be focused on types of response to national cybersecurity emergencies, and will be moderated by Sarah Nacey, Deputy Director of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO). The third workshop will host three speakers who will focus on the European Union’s strategy for reducing chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear risks, as well as cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Moderators include Mr. Yuri Bruinen De Bruin, PHD European Commission CBRN Center of Excellence, and Mrs. Jirina Valentova European External Action Service, Brussels CBRN Center of Excellence, and Mr. Adil Radoini Regional Coordinator ME and GCC Country CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance Program.
The second day of the conference will start with speeches delivered by guests. These include Dr. Angelo Bolrelli, Cheif of Civil Protection Department of the Government of Italy, and Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mehairi. Minister of State of the UAE.
The first session, which will be centered around the future of emergency management using AI, will explore Singapore experience in building smart cities and protection from crises, and will be
moderated by Colonel Michael Chua, Director, Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Department, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). A second session will be moderated by Dr. Ali Salem Al Qaiwani. Director of the Disaster and Crisis Management Office of Dubai Health Authority, United Arab Emirates. The third session to discuss the use of AI in emergency management will be moderated by Dr. Nasser Mohammed Obaid Al Saedi, Head of Development and Change and
AI Consultant, Abu Dhabi Police. The fourth session, which will be about the use of AI to counter crises, will be moderated by Dr. Andrew Jackson, CEO of the Abu Dhabi-based Pegasus.
In the second session, titled “Recovery from Crises: Lessons Learnt”, the focus will be kept on three major topics. The first is “recovery from nuclear disasters”, and will be discussed by Ameena Al Abdouli, Manager of the Environmental Laboratory and Infrastructure Section at the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR). The second will revolve around the recovery system in the United Arab Emirates, and will be discussed by Mohammed Salim Al Ameri. The third is “Oman’s Practical Experiences and Lessons Learnt Cyclone Mekunu” and will be discussed by Lieutenant-Colonel. Faisal Salim Al-Hajri, Director of the Executive Office, National Committee for Civil Defense, Oman.
The second day will also see three workshops held to address several significant issues. The first workshop will tackle “Predicting the Unpredictable: Organizational Responses in an Unpredictable Environment” and will be discussed by Michael Charlton-Weedy, Head of International Resilience Training in the UK Cabinet Office’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat. A second workshop, about the development of a comprehensive digital methodology for crisis and emergency management, will be moderated by Director of Defense, Security & Public Safety at Etisalat Digital. The third workshop will discuss the national early warning system and will be moderated by Hamad Al Ameri, Director of Information Communication and Technology at NCEMA, and Christiaan Van Arum, Head of product management at one2many.
Launched in 2008, the Crisis and Emergency Management Conference became the first and most high-profile industry event in the Middle East, and succeeded in attracting significant attention in the region and beyond by bringing together high-profile figures from Arab and other countries and high-caliber experts and strategists from across the world.