Keynote address by Jan Egeland at DIHAD 2006

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 10 April 2006)

Your Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE Vice-President, Prime-Minister and Ruler of Dubai) (tbc),
And / or
Your Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein (tbc),
And / or
Your Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Deputy Prime-Minister and President of the UAE Red Crescent Authority) (tbc)
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests and fellow humanitarians,

[Expressions of gratitude to hosts and patrons of DIHAD]

- His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for his generous hospitality here in Dubai and his exemplary support to humanitarian and charitable causes worldwide.
- Dynamic organizing team at INDEX
- Sponsors of DIHAD 2006 (third annual DIHAD)

- Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment
- United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Authority
- Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- United Nations agencies

The Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition -- DIHAD as it is now commonly known -- continues to be a unique 'one and only' event in the Middle East. I am glad to see that once again DIHAD has managed to bring together and unite such an interesting and diverse international audience involved in development and humanitarian assistance.

My visit here today comes at the end of an eventful mission that took me from the United Nations headquarters in New York, to Uganda, Sudan, Paris, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and now here, to the UAE. Missions like this are not always without problems, but they certainly show that we need to further strengthen our collective efforts to address the pressing, but often forgotten, humanitarian challenges of today.

In Niger and Sudan, Ethiopia and Indonesia, from the occupied Palestinian territory to Pakistan and beyond, the United Nations is working with its partners to bring humanitarian assistance to those in need.

In Pakistan, we and our partners have supported the Government in an all-out drive for the last six months to provide shelter, food and medical support to millions of survivors of the devastating 8 October South Asian Earthquake. We can now see that our efforts were successful in preventing a second wave of deaths and helping people stay in their home areas. Our focus is now shifting to easing the transition from relief to reconstruction and we look forward to continuing cooperation with our humanitarian partners, particularly the Red Crescent societies and NGOs from the region.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, the United Nations provides assistance to millions on a daily basis, while continuing to highlight the impact that measures such as the recent closure of the Karni crossing into the Gaza Strip have on access to basic food supplies and social services.

In Banda Aceh, Sri Lanka and other areas hard-hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami, we averted the outbreak of disease epidemics and maintained levels of health and nutrition, in some cases raising them to a standard higher than in the pre-tsunami period.

In drought-stricken Ethiopia, where the most immediate effect of the current drought is the lack of water for humans and animals, we are urgently working to supply clean drinking water for nearly 650,000 people.

In the conflict-ridden Darfur region of Sudan, we have succeeded in reducing deaths among IDPs by two thirds since 2004.

And in Niger, where last summer's severe food crisis saw nearly one-quarter of a million children under five admitted to nutritional recovery centres, we are working to ensure that those most in need can meet their basic nutritional requirements ahead of what looks like another season of hunger.

Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At headquarters and in the field, the first priority of the United Nations humanitarian system is to work in support of the Governments of affected countries. To further their efforts to assist affected communities and populations. To care for those whose Governments cannot or will not help. To ensure that the most appropriate types of assistance and protection are made available, in the most coherent manner possible.

The United Nations' humanitarian work has always been conducted on the basis of the internationally-accepted principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality. And, in return, we have required unimpeded access to the civilians affected by crises and protection for both our humanitarian workers and the people they serve.

In the past decade, we have experienced a technological revolution in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We are informed about disasters wherever and whenever they occur. We are able to put emergency response teams on the ground anywhere on earth within 24 hours of a disaster. We are perfecting our ability to gather, analyze and communicate facts about the needs a disaster has created within a very short time. We have clarified our responsibility to protect civilians wherever and whenever they are threatened, and we have strengthened our capacity to do so.

Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As the United Nations, the reach of our humanitarian action extends around the globe. From Asia to Africa, throughout the Americas, in Europe and the Middle East, we are there. In each emergency, the capacity of the United Nations system is expanded exponentially by our partnerships with donor and recipient Governments and with non-governmental actors from all corners of the world.

Many people think of humanitarian assistance as a Western enterprise. But those of us here today know this is not true. The overwhelming response to the tsunami disaster -- not just from Governments, but from private individuals the world over -- underscored for us all the universal support for humanitarian action.

This region has long played a prominent role in charitable and humanitarian work. Over decades, Red Crescent societies have provided essential humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza and the West Bank, in the Balkans, in Iraq, Indonesia and Niger.

Witness the example set by the Saudi people, who donated more than $200 million in cash and material aid to Pakistan's earthquake survivors.

Or the major campaign, recently launched here in the UAE through the Red Crescent and other groups, to assist drought-stricken countries in the Horn of Africa. This is an example of Good Humanitarian Donorship as it demonstrates that donors and the public in the Gulf region extend their care beyond their immediate horizons.

According to our figures, nearly $700 million worth of humanitarian assistance was allocated by the six countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in 2005 alone.

A recent study by the Overseas Development Institute shows that up to 12 per cent of total humanitarian aid given from 1999 to 2004 came from donors who do not belong to the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

And these figures do not include development aid, which is equally essential.

There needs to be greater recognition of the positive role that the Middle East plays in the delivery of charitable and humanitarian assistance. However, I would also point out that greater participation within the multilateral system could help bring about that recognition. By channelling additional resources through the United Nations system, donors ensure that their contributions are officially recorded and recognized. This enables the United Nations to ensure greater visibility for their contributions in our public information and advocacy efforts. And donors also receive timely, accurate and transparent budgets and financial reports on how aid is used.

The United Nations is continuing to work to improve its capacity to record and reflect all of the generous contributions to humanitarian activities made by this region's countries, corporations, Red Crescent societies, NGOs, charities and private individuals in our financial tracking. We strive to present a clear and complete picture of all available assistance. In doing so, we offer our partners an excellent opportunity to obtain greater recognition for their donations.

Strengthening humanitarian partnerships and networks within the region and between the Middle East and other regions represents a win-win situation for all involved. The international humanitarian response will be strengthened through greater cooperation; the United Nations humanitarian system will be reinforced and diversified; and the countries and aid agencies of the Middle East will be better able to tap international resources, help set the agenda and generate earn international recognition for their humanitarian activities.

Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As I noted before, we have experienced a technological revolution in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. However, we have not yet had the moral revolution to parallel the technological one. We must continue to work to encourage that moral revolution. There is no reason that any child should go to bed hungry or thirsty, no reason any child should suffer from measles or polio. Worldwide, we have more than enough resources to feed and immunize all children, to ensure them a warm and safe bed at night.

The world over, people want to help. The world over, we have experienced extraordinary generosity from everyone -- individuals, corporations, international organizations and Governments -- once it has been understood what is needed.

And we are trying to make it easier for the world to help us in our humanitarian endeavours. Just last month, the Secretary-General presided over the launch of the new Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which will have up to $450 million available to be used as grants for jump-starting life-saving relief operations immediately when a natural disaster or other crisis strikes.

I would like to commend the Governments of Kuwait, Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar, which have already made pledges and/or contributions to the new CERF.

The humanitarian community continues to be perceived as too UN- and too Western-centric. At the United Nations, we continue to look for better ways to incorporate and engage in partnerships across geographical and cultural borders. We are much encouraged by the initial results of our collective efforts for coordination and the increased awareness about our common work and this region's contribution to the international humanitarian response that has been generated since our regional office opened.

We also value the excellent working relationship we have with Red Crescent organizations of the UAE and other Gulf States. Our open, frank and constructive dialogue with charitable organizations from the Arab-Muslim world enables us better to understand specific challenges and constraints. I am encouraged by the continuing requests from such charities for greater engagement by and with the United Nations.

We must work ever harder to together create the kinds of humanitarian partnerships and networks that further expand and benefit the humanitarian community and send out a positive and constructive joint humanitarian message. If we manage to do this together, our joint humanitarian action will become even more responsive to the needs of all those whose suffering demands our action and assistance.

I want to wish you a successful conference and thank you sincerely for your attention.