Crisis and Emergency Management Conference ends

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

The Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC) 2016 – Fifth Edition held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, and organised by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), concluded on Monday at St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort – Abu Dhabi. The two-day event titled ‘Innovative Approaches towards a Safe Nation’ witnessed the participation of a prominent group of local, regional and international experts in the field of emergency, crises and disaster management.
At the close of the conference, the participants thanked His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, for their ongoing support. They also expressed their gratitude to the NCEMA team for successfully organising such an event.
The participants also thanked His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, for his tireless efforts and thoughtful participation through every stage of the conference and its events.
National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in its turn, expressed its gratitude and appreciation to all those who participated and contributed to the success of the fifth edition of CEMC, and extended invitation to CEMC Sixth Edition to be held in 2018.
A speech by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, was delivered on behalf of H.H by His Excellency Mohammed Faris Al Mazrouei, Assistant Minister for Security and Military Affairs in the presence of H.E. Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education for the UAE.
He said: “It is worth mentioning that crisis and disasters may occur from time to time, and we are not immune from harm and its aftermath, which requires us to speed up our response and professionalism in dealing with it. This is what we see today in the Arab world and the challenges and the risks that may stem from serious and rapid developments touching on national security, whether from terrorist acts or from the ideology of extremist terrorist groups. This requires effective and strategic planning, awareness and broad participation to confront, address and eliminate terrorism, in order to achieve security and stability. The UAE’s efforts in this area are seen through its participation in the international coalition to combat terrorism and strategy of the United Nations to combat terrorism. In addition, the UAE presented the International Center to Countering Violent Extremism (Hedayah) which devoted its efforts for dialogue, training and research to combat violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.

This was in addition to the establishment of “Sawab” Center which provides support for the international coalition against ISIS and cooperates with relevant members, individuals and institutions in the UAE concerned with combating false rumors, messages and misinformation promoted by this extremist group.
“There is no doubt that many countries may be disturbed and security incidents may occur which can affect the safety of the citizens of the United Arab Emirates and put them in danger. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation provided TAWAJUDI service for citizens of the state while abroad, to facilitate the process of communication between state missions abroad with citizens who are registered in this service when situations of crisis and emergency occur, in order to evacuate them and coordinate their return to the country safely. This indicates a strong concern to the Government of the United Arab Emirates, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation in the preservation of safety and security of the citizens of the United Arab Emirates, wherever they are and wherever they roam.
“The UAE is affected by terrorism as the country is part of the community’s international political, economic, social, security and international variables, and under the alternating situations faced by the Arab region and the world, both during crisis and disasters – different in quality, intensity and gravity – which poses a threat to international security and stability. It is necessary to raise a very important point that forms a cornerstone for the success in facing these crises and disasters, which is namely international cooperation. It requires concerted efforts at the regional and international levels, and the reality of the situation proved that the efforts of individuals in the UAE cannot confront crisis alone whatever their potentials were, and here we hope to live up to the required levels of international cooperation to prevent the risk of crisis and disasters, and to reduce their impact as much as possible.”