Forecasting the Future of Emergencies and Crises: Capabilities and...

11 February 2019 News

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority is organizing the "Emergency and Crisis Management Conference (CEMC)" under the theme "Forecasting the Future of Emergencies and Crises: Capabilities and Challenges" from March 11 to 12, 2019, in Abu Dhabi at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Hotel.

In this regard, His Excellency Dr. Jamal Mohamed Al Hosani, Director General of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, stated that organizing this international conference in its sixth edition comes as part of implementing the directives of the wise leadership in the country. The Authority has given exceptional attention to holding international conferences on emergency, crisis, and disaster management on UAE soil, aiming to maximize the benefits from global experiences, expertise, and technologies that contribute to enhancing its role and capabilities in dealing with emergencies, crises, and disasters. This is achieved by hosting as many competencies and experts in this field from various countries, institutions, and organizations around the world.

He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his generous patronage of this conference.

He said that, thanks to the support of the wise leadership, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has become a shining symbol and a pioneering entity in the state’s development journey, making it a beacon of activity and innovation at local, regional, and international levels. The Authority has become a leader in protecting the nation’s achievements through a national system for managing emergencies, crises, and disasters.

He emphasized the strategic importance of this conference, which holds a prominent position in the goals that the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority aims to achieve, with the aim of increasing awareness and improving the performance and effectiveness of emergency response capabilities in the UAE.

He explained that the goal of organizing this conference is to elevate the state of emergency, crisis, and disaster management in the UAE specifically, and in the Gulf region, the Middle East, and the world generally. This is done by enabling participants to gain in-depth knowledge of global experiences and expertise, especially regarding work coordination and crisis management on one hand, and enhancing awareness and understanding of the need for a comprehensive concept related to emergency, crisis, and disaster management on the other.

He noted that the Emergency and Crisis Management Conference (CEMC) this year gains special importance in light of the increasing diverse threats and risks, the emergence of new and complex types of unconventional threats, as well as rapid technological, technical, and electronic changes and the threats arising from them. This requires a correct anticipation of the future and readiness to build capacities to face challenges and risks, and the necessity of enhancing international cooperation to explore modern methods in disaster and crisis management, study global changes in terms of their causes, implications, and solutions, and prepare the necessary plans, programs, and procedures.

He confirmed that the choice of the theme "Forecasting the Future of Emergencies and Crises – Capabilities and Challenges" reflects a complete awareness of the importance of global cooperation and collective work. The aim is to formulate a new future for crisis and emergency management in light of increasing challenges, aiming to lay the foundations for a world free from risks or crises, with hopes for global security, stability, reassurance, and prosperity, leading to sustainable development based on the preservation of lives and achievements.

He added that the "Emergency and Crisis Management Conference" aims to raise the level of knowledge and readiness among concerned entities in the UAE and the region, regarding modern systems and methods used to address potential emergency scenarios, encourage and organize joint cooperation between neighboring countries at the regional level, exchange experiences related to emergencies and crises at the global level, and strive to find the best methods for managing emergencies.

His Excellency, the Director General of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, stated that the presence of a distinguished group of senior officials, experts, specialists, academics, and stakeholders, along with the rich topics that the conference will address and explore the future of emergencies and crises, enhances the global status of this conference. It is also an ideal opportunity to present experiences and expertise, and the essence of knowledge and information, which will contribute to shaping ideas that will result in recommendations lighting the way for forecasting modern and advanced methods to face disasters and crises and their repercussions, thus helping to minimize both material and human losses.

He noted that the conference will address many topics related to the future of emergency and crisis management, including the future of emergency management using artificial intelligence, policies and frameworks to reduce disaster risks, preparedness and readiness for major events, and lessons learned from crisis recovery.

The conference will also include several workshops on important issues and matters, such as the role of individuals in emergency response – the volunteer program for emergency response, anticipating the unexpected in response operations in environments with unpredictable threats, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies, managing major events – Russia 2018 World Cup, and how to respond to national cyber crises, and the national early warning system.

He emphasized that discussing such strategic topics and important issues in an international conference confirms that countries, agencies, and local organizations, no matter how much progress they achieve during their development journey, need to exchange experiences and the latest developments in this field.

His Excellency Dr. Jamal Al Hosani, Director General of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the supporting entities, sponsors, and partners who contributed to organizing this major international event.

It is worth noting that the Emergency and Crisis Management Conference (CEMC) has succeeded since its first edition in 2008, achieving a prominent position of interest at both regional and international levels. It has attracted significant groups of experts and strategists from around the world, in addition to hosting prominent global and Arab figures.

The event is considered the first and most prominent of its kind in the Gulf region and the Middle East, as it forms a platform for exchanging views among a select group of global experts in emergency management and interested parties in the region, through a series of lectures and workshops, with the hope of reaching the best solutions and procedures that can be taken to address emergencies and crises, aiming to prevent their occurrence or mitigate their losses and recover from their impacts at various levels.