Today marks the last day of the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai, where prominent thinkers, experts and policy-makers gather to talk about technology and innovation in a range of fields.
UAE today launches humanitarian logistics databank
ADVERTISEMENTHRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, chairperson of the International Humanitarian City, made the announcement about the new databank.
The databank will improve the speed and efficiency of humanitarian aid and emergency response via a centralised platform of real-time information on emergencies, supplies and logistics.
The UAE expects to enhance collaboration between aid agencies in the region.
Climate change, biotechnology and space settlement
Actor Robert De Niro joined ministers of the UAE and island nations Antigua and Barbuda and the Republic of Marshall Islands to discuss the devastating effects of extreme weather.
The two-time Oscar winner asked to help rebuild Barbuda after it was left uninhabitable for the first time in 300 years following Hurricane Irma.
Fellow Academy-Award winner Forest Whitaker, representing UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, talked about empowering women and children, who are the most vulnerable to climate change impact.
Women and youth excessively bear the impact of environmental, economic and social shocks, and are 14 times more likely than men to die during a disaster.
While women and youth are often victims, evidence from humanitarian crises collated by agencies and NGO boards unmistakably indicate that these two groups know their own needs, and typically have the best ideas on how they should be met.
Can we create a pandemic-free world?
“Strengthening health systems is the best way to safeguard against health crises,” said World Health Organization Head Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Universal health coverage is ultimately a political choice and pursuing it is the responsibility of every country and national government, according to the WHO chief.
“Universal health coverage and health emergencies are two sides of the same coin. Strengthening health systems is the best way to safeguard against health crises.”
“Outbreaks are inevitable, but epidemics are not. Strong health systems are our best defense to prevent disease outbreaks from becoming epidemic,” he said.