Speaker :

Mr. Amin Awad

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Former Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine; Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University

Bio:

2022 Assistant Secretary General and United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine

In light of the escalating crisis in Ukraine (some 14 million people displaced internally and externally):  Represented the Secretary – General in Ukraine, led and coordinated UN’s operational response to the evolving situation on the ground. Liaised with government, de facto non-government actors. Coordinated security planning and programming criticality. Served the primary public spokesperson for the UN operations in Ukraine.

2020-2021 Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University

Amin Awad is a 2020 to 2021 Senior Fellow, Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative, engaged on issues related to vital sectors and drivers for economic and social change in fragile states and states in transition.

Prior to this, Mr. Awad served in dual capacity as United Nations Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Syria and Iraq Situations, and as Director of the Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland.  In this capacity, he led the UN Refugee Agency’s humanitarian response in the Middle East and North Africa.  He coordinated over 9,000 staff and 270 organizations, in close partnership with the respective governments, delivering protection and humanitarian aid to some 20 million displaced persons in the region and in the context of some of the most severe displacement crises of the century.   Prior to this, he also worked extensively in the Middle East, including in Yemen during the Somali boat people crisis in 1992, and in Iraq and Jordan, during the first Gulf War in 1990-1991.  He again worked in the capacity of Regional Coordinator for the Iraq crisis during the second Gulf War in 2003.

Mr. Awad was engaged in humanitarian action with the United Nations for over 30 years, where he distinguished himself in some of the most challenging field operations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia.

He held a series of leadership positions in the field and at headquarters during many of the mega-crises of the 1990s, including the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia.  During the first and second Gulf Wars, he handled the complex political negotiations in cooperation with cross-Atlantic security and military institutions, namely NATO and the OSCE, as well as regional institutions, such as the EU, OIC and the Arab League.

Mr. Awad also held Humanitarian Coordinator positions on several occasions, including in Tajikistan, FYR Macedonia, and Sri Lanka.

Amin Awad was given the opportunity to contribute to reform and improvement within the United Nations system, as a focal point for UNHCR.  Through this role, he pushed for the UN reform agenda including the UN Transformative Humanitarian Agenda, as well as in the areas of policy development, field implementation, security sector, and technical areas such as procurement, supply and oversight.

His profound expertise comprises, inter alia, development cooperation, emergency management, refugee assistance, inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization, global supply chain oversight, and political negotiation.

A Senior Fellow at Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative , Awad holds a BA in Political Science and Economics and completed higher studies in International Development Administration.

Speaker :

Drs. Yannick Du Pont

Member of the Development Cooperation Committee at the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs; Founder of Spark, Amsterdam

Bio:

As founder of SPARK, Drs. Yannick has been working for almost 30 years in the field of higher (vocational) education & economic development. He designed and supervised growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and facilitated youth job creation in over 25 countries, including Europe, Asia, East and West Africa, the Middle East & North Africa region, and the Horn of Africa region.

He is currently a member of the Netherlands State Development Cooperation Committee at the Advisory Council on International Affairs. He serves on the Boards of the Max van der Stoel Foundation and Open Door Ukraine (The Hague), the Advisory Board of the Centre of Theory of Change (New York), and is a member of the DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board – DISAB (Dubai). Drs. Yannick is lecturing in the DIHAD Humanitarian College’s Masters programme in Sustainable Humanitarian Action (Murcia) and an expert on the Theory for Change for the GADHA institute.

Speaker :

Ms. Sophie Barbey

Deputy Director of the Operations, Terre des hommes

Bio:

Sophie Barbey is currently the Deputy Director of Operations at Terre des hommes (Tdh), at the headquarters in Lausanne (Switzerland), a position she has held since 2020. For more than twenty years before her current assignment, Sophie led and managed a number of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) both at field and headquarter levels.

As the head of the operational Programs and Expertise department of Tdh, the leading Swiss foundation on children’s rights, Sophie guides and manages the implementation of its strategic plan. She is actively involved in the institutional positioning towards key actors; she upholds and embodies the values of the foundation.

Speaker :

Eng. Khaled Al Attar

Director-General, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Organisation
Director-General of the International Congress for Health Specialties
– ICHS
Founder and Chairman of GADHA

Bio:

Eng. Khaled Al Attar is an entrepreneur and expert in training, development, entrepreneurship, protocol, and etiquette. He demonstrated exceptional prowess across all facets of his profession, transformed lots of lives, and ignited motivation in their professions. He also has a significant influence on guiding numerous individuals to transform their ideas into thriving businesses!

BIOGRAPHY:

Engineer Khaled Habib Al Attar is the Director-General at DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Organization, a globally recognized non-profit organization with a broad international footprint. In this capacity, he oversees the administration of diverse charitable, humanitarian, educational, and aid initiatives. This includes the strategic coordination of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) and its associated events. Through his dedicated efforts, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Organization achieved a significant milestone by establishing DIHAD Humanitarian College. This educational institution, operating under the auspices of DIHAD Organization, offers an unprecedented international humanitarian master’s degree program in Sustainable Humanitarian Actions. The College’s establishment represents a commitment to advancing education in the humanitarian sector and fostering innovation in sustainable humanitarian practices.

Eng. Khaled Al Attar also serves as the Director-General at the International Congress for Health Specialties (ICHS), a distinguished consortium of global experts and professionals committed to providing advanced continuing education, professional development, research, and innovation, with its headquarters in the UK. ICHS is an internationally recognized platform that inspires medical and healthcare professionals across 438 specialties and subspecialties. In his capacity, Eng. Khaled directs ICHS activities spanning 189 countries, overseeing the organization’s overall strategy and ensuring the continuous implementation of its missions and values.

In Addition, Eng. Khaled Habib Al Attar is the Founder and Chairman of GADHA, one of the region’s leading training and consulting organizations. He took his Higher Diploma in Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering at Higher Colleges Technology in 2010. Then, in 2012, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering from the same Institution. He then acquired his Master’s Degree in 2018 from Rochester Institute of Technology, where he majored in Engineering and Engineering Management.

Eng. Khaled holds an esteemed position as a member of the Executive Board and Regional Director of the Middle East for the Euro-Mediterranean Music Academy for Peace (EMMA for Peace). As a key figure within one of the largest international organizations dedicated to music, education, and peace diplomacy, Eng. Khaled collaborates with United Nations entities, including UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. His involvement with EMMA extends to orchestrating significant international events, notably the World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize winners for two consecutive years, as well as numerous conferences and global gatherings.

Eng. Khaled holds the distinction of being an Associate Fellow of Higher Education from the United Kingdom, a credential earned following an illustrious tenure of over eight years as a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering department at the Higher Colleges of Technology.

A leader in education and leadership, Eng. Khaled is among the pioneering graduates of the Executive Leaders Program for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a transformative initiative by the United Arab Emirates Government Leaders Program. His commitment to professional development is further evident through his participation in various government leadership programs, including the Influencing Leaders Program by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development (MBRCLD), and the Hope Makers Development Program, developed by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).

Key Achievements:

• Participated in various government leadership programs such as the Influencing Leaders Program by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development (MBRCLD), and the Executive Leadership Program for the Fourth Industrial Revolution by the UAE Government Leaders Program (UAE GLP). He also took part in the Hope Makers Development Program – developed by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI)
• Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy from the United Kingdom
• Associate Fellow of Mechanical Solid Modeling (Solidworks)- International
• Former Engineering Faculty, Higher Colleges of Technology
• Emerging International Leader from Rochester Institute of Technology
• Community Award HCT-UAE
• HCT Research and Entrepreneurship award
• Best Innovative Idea HCT-UAE
• National Treasure 2016
• EMMA Golden Angel Medal
• Best University Student at Hamdan Award

Speaker :

Mr. Giuseppe Saba

Chief Executive Officer of International Humanitarian City; Founder of UNHRD Network and former Network Coordinator

Bio:

Appointed as CEO of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City in early March 2017, Giuseppe Saba brings more than 36 years of extensive experience in the humanitarian field with the United Nations and international organizations. Giuseppe is a leading logistics and support services expert.

He is the founder of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot Network (UNHRD); In 2000, he set up under the UN World Food Programme (WFP) the first UNHRD in Brindisi, south-east of Italy, as a consortium of UN Agencies and international humanitarian organizations, including governmental and non-governmental entities.

Following the lessons learned from the emergency response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, he developed and expanded UNHRD into the current network by opening hubs and negotiating agreements with various hosting governments in Dubai, Malaysia, Ghana, Spain and Panama. As a result of his efforts, UNHRD became one of the largest international humanitarian platforms with more than 90 partners operating in emergency preparedness and response.

Saba is an Italian citizen and since his retirement from the UN-WFP in 2013, he has served as a consultant to various humanitarian agencies including the Norwegian Refugee Council and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre).

Speaker :

Ms. Clare Dalton

Head of Delegation

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UAE

Bio:

Clare Dalton is currently the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Head of Delegation to the United Arab Emirates. In this capacity, she represents the ICRC in the UAE and engages closely
with the UAE authorities and other partners on humanitarian issues of mutual concern, including International Humanitarian Law (IHL), climate, new technologies, water and food security, as well as
supporting ICRC work worldwide to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence.

Prior to this appointment, she was the Head of Humanitarian Diplomacy at ICRC’s Geneva Headquarters. She pioneered this role, leading a multi-disciplinary team joining up all parts of the
ICRC’s diplomacy around its institutional policy and diplomacy objectives. She was responsible for designing and delivering effective diplomatic strategies and helping to mobilize political and financial
support for the organization. During this time, she led engagement in several multilateral negotiations, additional to overseeing the work of the New York delegation.

From 2013-2015, she was the ICRC’s Humanitarian Action Advisor, working closely with the UN in Geneva and New York, sitting on several advisory boards and coordination bodies to calibrate the
ICRC’s relationship with the broader humanitarian and development sector.

Previously, she spent eight years in a variety of challenging posts and conflict-settings, including Angola, Iraq, Darfur and Nepal as well as later with the ICRC’s Regional Delegation in Nairobi,
covering Kenya, Tanzania and Djibouti.

Clare has a degree in Anthropology from University College London and an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS. She recently completed a CAS at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland in Humanitarian Leadership.

Speaker :

Mr. Muktar Farah
Head of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) – UAE

Bio:

Mr. Muktar has 29 years of experience working for the United Nations. He worked with UNOCHA, WFP and ILO with experience in East Africa, Great Lakes, West Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific spanning 10 countries. He has significant experience in Conflict, Natural Disaster and Complex emergencies settings.

Before joining OCHA UAE as the Head of Office, he served in the Regional Office for Asia Pacific covering 42 countries as Head of Operations. He is currently based in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Speaker :

Dr. Marie McAuliffe
Head, Migration Policy Research Division, International Organization for Migration, Geneva and Editor of IOM’s flagship World Migration Report

Bio:

Dr. Marie is an international migration specialist with more than 20 years of experience in migration as a practitioner, program manager, senior official and researcher.

Dr. Marie has researched, published and edited widely in academic and policy spheres on migration and is on the editorial boards of scientific journals International Migration and Migration Studies, and is an Associate Editor of the Harvard Data Science Review. She edits IOM’s World Migration Report in partnership with leading migration researchers.

Marie is a Senior Associate (non-resident) at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), senior fellow at the Global Migration Centre at the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a Sir Roland Wilson Fellow at the School of Demography at the Australian National University (ANU).

Speaker :

Dr. Manal Mohammad Taryam
CEO of Primary Health Care in Dubai Health Authority, CEO and Board Member of Noor Dubai Foundation

Bio:

Dr. Manal Taryam, made a notable impact on the healthcare sector. Leading Primary Health Care and contributing to the ranking of the Emirates No.1 in Satisfaction with availability of Quality Healthcare” according to Gallup Report 2019, and “Economic implications of an ageing population” according to IMD Competitiveness Yearbook 2018 and “Vaccination coverage index” by Legatum Report 2018.

She is Executive President of the International Scientific Alliance for Family Medicine. She recently got nominated to chair a Global Council on SDG.

Her impact surpassed boarders, as she touched lives of people globally, in her capacity as CEO & Member of the board of Trustee at Noor Dubai Foundation, a member charity in the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives that specializes in fighting all forms of avoidable and curable blindness and visual disabilities around the world. Since its launch in 2008, the Foundation worked successfully with governments and NGOs in Asia and Africa as it succeeded in reaching out to over 30 million beneficiaries, distributing 92 million doses of medicine, conducting 390,581 surgeries, training 266,227 healthcare providers in 18 different countries.

She was awarded for her humanitarian efforts by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2018 in addition to receiving the international Stevie Awards in 2019 for “Best CEO in nonprofit organization”. She has received 28 awards, including Sheikh Rashid Awards for Scientific Excellence and Distinguished Government Employee, at the Dubai Government Excellence Program- 2006.

She supervised 127 strategic initiatives that contributed in raising happiness of over 1 million patients annually. More recently, she has received the 2021 Silver Award at the “International Business Awards” for the category “Healthcare Technology Solutions” for the initiative “Doctor for Every Citizen” a smart telemedicine platform that provided virtual
consultations to patients in the UAE and Emiratis abroad. The initiative had a role in supporting the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entrusted by leadership, she was assigned to lead the Dubai Disability Strategy inclusive healthcare taskforce, in an effort to make Dubai a disability friendly city. She also led the Dubai 10X project from which 2 strategic programs were initiated, the early warning and response system, a public health prediction platform which targets Global Emergencies in Health care, and the Dubai Genome Project, which will revolutionize medicine in UAE and promote personalized medicine.

Dr. Manal Taryam, believes in an international world, she had the opportunity of studying and working in multi-cultural environments. Dr. Taryam graduated from Dubai Medical College in 1997, then traveled to Germany to complete her postgraduate studies in Ophthalmology, by 2006 she obtained a fellowship degree in Retinal Surgery from the University of Cologne.

In 2007, Dr. Taryam returned to Dubai to establish the first Retinal medical services at a government hospital and in 2008 she was appointed Medical Director of Noor Dubai Foundation. Her work in Noor Dubai involved the prevention and control of blinding diseases as well as empowering healthcare providers for sustainable quality healthcare.

Dr. Taryam has been keen on supporting the SDGs in all the programs with direct impact on SDG 3, and indirect impact on SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 6 and SDG 17

Speaker :

Speaker: Ms. Clare Dalton
Head of Mission, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UAE

Speaker Bio:
Ms. Clare Dalton is currently the ICRC’s Head of Mission to the United Arab Emirates. In this capacity, she represents the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the UAE and engages closely with the UAE authorities and other partners and actors on humanitarian issues of mutual concern. For example, the promotion of International Humanitarian Law and global humanitarian policy issues such as climate, new technologies, innovation and food security, as well as effective humanitarian responses in other contexts. Ms. Dalton currently serves as a board member at the DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board (DISAB).

Prior to this appointment, she was the Head of Humanitarian Diplomacy at ICRC’s Geneva Headquarters. She pioneered this role, leading a global, multi-disciplinary team joining up all parts of the ICRC’s diplomacy around its institutional policy and diplomacy objectives. During this time, she led the ICRC’s engagement in several major policy and multilateral negotiations, additional to overseeing the work of the ICRC New York delegation.

From 2013-2015, she was the ICRC’s Humanitarian Action Advisor, working closely with the UN in Geneva and New York, sitting on several advisory boards and coordination bodies to calibrate the ICRC’s relationship with the broader humanitarian and development sector.

Previously, she spent eight years with ICRC in the field in a variety of challenging posts and conflict settings, including Angola, Iraq, Darfur and Nepal as well as later with the ICRC’s Regional Delegation in Nairobi, covering Kenya, Tanzania and Djibouti.

Ms. Dalton has a degree in Anthropology from University College London, an MSc in Development
Studies from SOAS, and a CAS at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland in Humanitarian Leadership.