NCEMA to host 20 top speakers at region's first crisis & emergency conference

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CEMC Abu Dhabi aims to benefit region by learning from international experience

Abu Dhabi, 19 February 2008: National security and emergency management in the UAE and the region will come under close scrutiny when about 20 specially invited officials and expert speakers from different parts of the world converge in Abu Dhabi for the first-ever regional Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC) on March 3 and 4.

The speakers will share their knowledge and insights on a wide variety of topics ranging from national security and counter terrorism to trans-border animal diseases and the role of technology in national security.

The CEMC is being held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE's Armed Forces. The event is the pioneering initiative of the UAE's National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA). HE Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithy, General Manager of NCEMA, said the Authority had chosen the speakers with the primary objective of facilitating an exchange of experiences and insights and to foster a spirit of trans-border cooperation and coordination in responding to crises and emergencies.

"All speakers at CEMC Abu Dhabi are experienced in different aspects of crisis and emergency management. The conference will therefore be a great platform for the Middle East's government agencies and other organizations that are concerned with security, industrial and other incidents and emergencies," Al Romaithy said.

The speaker list for the event is led by Lord Alan West, UK Home Office's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, who will speak about the current security situation in his country and the government's counter-terrorism priorities. As a veteran of the Royal Navy, Lord West has had several key appointments and served on 14 ships, culminating in his appointment as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in 2002. He was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary in June 2007.

H.E Dr. Saleh Mousa Al Tae'e, Secretary General of the UAE Red Crescent is the key speaker from the host country and the topic of his address is "Disaster preparedness".

Oman's Col. Azhar Haroun Al Kindi, Director Executive Office, National Committee for Civil Defence (NCCD), will share the Omani experience in building national infrastructure in response to disasters. The presentation will offer lessons from the way Oman managed resource utilization during last year's Cyclone Gonu, including the importance of coordination with neighbouring countries. The NCCD is the leading government agency responsible for emergency and disaster management in Oman.

Yasar A. Qatarne, Jordan Institute of Diplomacy's Director, Regional Centre on Conflict Prevention, will present "A Strategy for Early Warning and Conflict Prevention in the Gulf". The paper will evaluate the cooperative security solutions attempted in the region in recent years and propose ways and means for common actions to prevent and manage conflicts in the Arab Gulf region.

"12 lessons in Crisis Management" is the title of the paper to be presented by Richard A Clarke from the United States, who is an internationally recognized expert on homeland and national security, cyber security and counter terrorism. Clarke has more than 25 years of security experience in senior positions with the US government, and served three Presidents as a senior White House advisor over 11 consecutive years as Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs, National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism and Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security.

Dr. Guido Bertolaso, Head of Italian Civil Protection - Presidency of the Council of Ministers, will share the experience of the Italian emergency management system in exploring strategies for a national and multi-national response to disasters. The presentation will make a specific reference to the role played by Italy in managing emergencies in Greece, Albania and Lebanon and will seek participants' involvement to discuss possible strategies to face new scenarios of emergencies related to climate changes and man-made disasters. A medical doctor by profession, Bertolaso has rich experience in running Italy's Cambodian refugee programme in the 1980s and in directing programmes for health cooperation, emergency and humanitarian assistance for developing countries. From 1993 to 1995, Bertolaso worked as Deputy Executive Director at the UNICEF headquarters in New York.

Mrs. Purificación Morandeira Carreira, General Director of Spain's Ministry of the Presidency's Centre For the Prevention and Fight Against Maritime and Coastal Pollution- CEPRECO), will present the country's experience from the one of the world's worst oil spills, the "Prestige disaster" and its environmental, technical, economic, social, legal, and international and other implications. Saudi AramcoSaudi Aramco's Regional Oil Spill Coordinator for Arabian Gulf Khalid Al Harbi will discuss the company's oil spill prevention and oil spill emergency response strategy.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Orgnaization (FAO) is sponsoring two speakers at CEMC: Juan Lubroth Senior Officer, Emergency Prevention System, Animal Health Service; and Gregory Garbinsky, Manager of the Crisis Management Center (CMC), FAO. Their presentations will focus on FAO's response and assistance to outbreaks of avian influenza and other trans-boundary animal diseases.

Other speakers at CEMC representing official agencies are: Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed, Deputy Chairman, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authoirty (ERRA) of Pakistan; London's Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, Head of Central Operations Olympic Security Coordinator; Bruce Mann CB, Director of Civil Contingencies, Cabinet Office, UK; and Major General Michael Charlton-Weedy, Chief Executive, Cabinet Office, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, UK; and

The conference will also feature private sector speakers such as Dag Gunnar Nielsen, Director Ericsson Response at Ericsson AB and Dean Monterey Director Emergency Management Solutions, EmerGeo Solutions, Inc. Ms. Randa Fouad, President, of the Arab Media Forum for Environment and Development, will present a paper titled "Development Communication and Crisis Management".

CEMC Abu Dhabi is being produced by Reed Exhibitions Middle East on behalf of NCEMA. The event will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre. Nicolas Heard, Head of Conference Department at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in Abu Dhabi will be the Master of Ceremonies at CEMC.

The platinum sponsors of CEMC are Etisalat, Sorouh Real Estate, Al Qudra Holding, First Gulf Bank and Al Foah Palm Sector Development Company. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank is the main registration sponsor.

-Ends-

NCEMA:
The National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority is the UAE's newly created federal body that has been set up to oversee a coordinated national approach to crisis and emergency management. The NCEMA organization is currently being established and the Crisis and Emergency Management Conference in Abu Dhabi is its first major initiative.

Media contacts for more information:
NCEMA:
Dr. Jamal Al Hosani
Tel: 02-4479191

Reed Exhibitions:
Ludovica Sarram
Ph: +9712 4446113
Fax: +9712 4443768
Email: ludovica.sarram@reedexpo.ae

ASDA'A Public Relations:
Ammar Althuwaini / Brian Carvalho
Ph: +9712 6334133
Fax: +9712 6334233
Email: a.althuwaini@asdaa.com, b.carvalho@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2008