The Emergency and Crisis Management Conference concluded its third...

17 January 2012 News

The Emergency and Crisis Management Conference concluded its third edition today, which took place on January 16 and 17, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, and Chairman of the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority.

The conference, titled "Preparing to Face Future Challenges: Innovative Solutions in Crisis and Disaster Management," was organized by the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority in coordination with the Near East and Gulf Military Analysis Foundation "Enigma," and held at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants sent a letter of thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for their continued support of the conference and its organizers, which greatly contributed to its success and positive outcomes.

Participants also extended their sincere thanks to His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his patronage and oversight of the conference's activities and events.

The National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority of the UAE, the organizing body of the conference, expressed its gratitude and appreciation to all participants in the third edition of the conference for their efforts and contributions during the sessions, which significantly contributed to the success of this edition.

The Authority invited participants to take part in the fourth edition of the Emergency and Crisis Management Conference, scheduled to be held in 2014, God willing.
At the end of the conference, several recommendations were issued, including:

• Establishing a unified Gulf system for managing emergencies, crises, and disasters, with standardized strategies, plans, training methods, and joint exercises, as well as using identical equipment to handle any crises or disasters that may occur in any country in the region. It is also crucial to exchange expertise in managing crises and disasters and to ensure that regional countries have strategic reserves.
• Organizing continuous educational and training programs for leaders on managing emergencies, crises, and disasters to enhance their capabilities, enable them to develop a clear vision, and establish guidelines for handling emergency situations. There should be a clear leadership mechanism and defined responsibilities during emergencies, crises, and disasters.
• Ensuring the involvement of civil society institutions, non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions in all emergency, crisis, and disaster strategies and plans. Enhancing community and volunteer roles in facing emergencies, launching awareness and educational programs for the community, and continuously preparing them to encourage a culture of volunteerism, which will facilitate the work of crisis and emergency managers during any emergency situations.
• Handling community members with transparency and honesty, delivering accurate and clear messages in all languages, and considering all levels and cultures during emergencies and crises. This approach helps combat rumors, reduces negative outcomes of any disaster, and aids in effective crisis management.
• Paying special attention to individuals with special needs when developing strategies and plans for facing emergencies, crises, and disasters, ensuring their security and safety.
• Relying on technology and modern techniques in all stages of preparedness for emergencies, crises, and disasters, and ensuring that emergency plans utilize all available resources to manage risks, including geographic information systems.
• Holding similar annual specialized conferences focusing on the topics and interests of the Emergency and Crisis Management Conference to thoroughly research and discuss each topic.

The second day of the conference began with a speech by Dr. Abdulaziz Youssef Hamza, Head of the "Disaster Center for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," who emphasized the role of the center as a tool for cooperation among GCC countries, tasked with protecting the achievements of the member states.

He expressed hope that the Disaster Center would bridge the gap between regional and advanced countries in the field of emergency, crisis, and disaster management, provide necessary protection for all residents in GCC countries, and preserve the region's resources and public property.

Dr. Hamza also hoped that the center would help spread the principles emphasized by GCC leaders, based on love, tolerance, and peace, and reject division and extremism.

He stressed the importance of preparing plans to address challenges facing the region, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the spread of nuclear weapons, control over vital waterways, food and water scarcity, and technological warfare.

The first general session on the second day of the conference focused on the importance of coordination and cooperation in crisis management. Mr. Amjad Abshar, Head of the "Regional Office for Arab States" of the "United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)," reviewed the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. He emphasized that disaster risk reduction aims to minimize damage caused by natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and hurricanes through proactive prevention.

He added that natural hazard-induced disasters affect people in developing countries more than in developed countries, and economic losses from disasters relative to national wealth are much greater in poor countries.

Mr. Kyung-Soo Han, Vice President of the "Korean Hydro & Nuclear Power Company" and Head of its Emergency Management Office, delivered a lecture titled "Crisis Management in Korean Nuclear Power Plants." He briefly discussed types of crises and disasters, emergency response systems, post-Fukushima nuclear security crisis management, and Korea's efforts to enhance nuclear security. He mentioned that a Nuclear Security Summit would be held in Seoul from March 26-27, 2012, with around 200 executive-level participants to address the role of the nuclear industry in enhancing nuclear safety and international cooperation to strengthen nuclear information security.

Mr. Ahmed Awad Al-Kahtani, Head of the "Prevention Department" at the "National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority," discussed the "Role of Numerical Models in Predicting Natural and Nuclear Disasters." He highlighted that substantial amounts of money and effort are invested by the international community to raise global awareness about preparedness and readiness. He noted that the goal of numerical models in crisis management is to highlight vital positive impacts through monitoring and prediction, among other aspects, and the challenges faced in modeling research across the region.

Captain Ramiro Galvez, Head of the "Rescue Station" in Fairfax County, "Fire and Rescue Department," and a member of the DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) in the United States, spoke about "Effective Search and Rescue Operations in Populated Areas Using Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology Compatible with Current Systems." He stated that effective search and rescue operations in populated areas involve locating, retrieving, and providing medical treatment for victims trapped due to structural collapses, natural disasters, or human-caused incidents. He added that challenges remain in using standardized language for defining search operations in populated areas following devastating disasters and in using technological equipment to gather, match, and share information obtained by search teams.

The second general session of the conference on the second day was about the information environment. Mr. Khaled Khalifa, Head of the "United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs," delivered a speech on "The Role of Information in the Current Working Environment." He stated that humanitarian actors need to share information to reduce duplication of efforts, improve information flow among humanitarian actors, and enhance humanitarian response effectiveness. He added that integrating information sharing into the core of the humanitarian response system is essential, and effective information management is a key component of humanitarian operations, which should be integrated into preparedness and response efforts.

Mr. Hashim Mohamed Al-Hashimi, Head of the "Geographic Information Systems (GIS)" Department at the "National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority," discussed "The National Spatial Data Infrastructure and its Applications in Emergency and Disaster Management." He said the Authority's mission is to enhance the UAE's capabilities in managing and responding to emergencies and crises to save lives, protect property, ensure business continuity, and facilitate recovery through joint preparedness and planning, using all available coordination and communication means between federal, local, and private sectors.

Finally, Mr. Tim Goodwin, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London, UK, discussed "The Evolution of Social Media's Role in Crisis Management." He highlighted major disruptions in a generation and significant riots and security breaches across London, stating that "intelligence, investigation, and engagement are the three methods for police to utilize social media."

The Emergency and Crisis Management Conference was held in partnership with government entities including the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces, and the Secretariat General of the Executive Council - Abu Dhabi. The commercial sponsors included Gold Sponsor: Lockheed Martin, and Silver Sponsor: Booz Allen Hamilton.