The two-day Crisis and Emergency Management Summit (CEMS) Abu Dhabi 2023 brought together international experts in emergency and crisis management to explore the main challenges and international approaches of the emergency and crisis management system.

The summit was organsied by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Advisor.

During the event, several international experts shared their insights with the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief of Risk Knowledge, Monitoring, and Capacity Development at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, asserted during her participation at CEMS2023, “We are at a turning point with the climate crisis. We must make progress in reducing climate emissions, or rather we will face runaway disaster risk.”

She also highlighted the importance of the UAE hosting COP28, saying, “COP28 is critically important, and the fact that the UAE is hosting it is really special for the region.”

Waheguru Pal Singh, Clinical Professor at the Centre for Global Affairs, discussed the importance of the CEMS2023 in evaluating the Covid-19 pandemic. He said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught the world many valuable lessons. This underscores the significance of CEMS2023, which brings together participants from diverse regions to acknowledge these lessons and prevent future pandemics.”

Dr. Charilaos Mertzanis, Professor of financial economics at Abu Dhabi University, highlighted the UAE’s outstanding performance in crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that
“the UAE’s response to Covid-19 has been remarkable: fast, efficient and user friendly.”

James Morse, President of Rabdan Academy, said, “The UAE place is an enormously important part both regionally and internationally in facing crises and we’ve seen it even in the last few month with the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and the events in Sudan.”

Dr. Diego Otegui, Assistant Professor of Crisis & Disaster Management at the University of Central Missouri, highlighted the importance of CEMS for experts as it is "an extraordinary space to actually discuss what we need to do as disciplines and experts.”

International experts shared their countries' and organisations' experience in dealing with crises and disasters.

Dr. Goh Moh Heng, the President of the Business Continuity Management Institute, mentioned that Singapore is not prone to natural disasters but is concerned about other challenges.

“We are more worried about cyberattacks, " he said, suggesting that in the next one or two years, governments should prioritise everything towards preventing cyberattacks.

Jeffrey Saunders, CEO of Nordic Foresight, shared the Nordic region experience in facing crises and disasters: “One of the lessons that we are learning is about how we could take a focus on societal security.”

Richard Hannah, Lead advisor Humanitarian and Disaster Management New Zealand Ministry, said, “We get a lot of natural disasters in New Zealand…We spend a lot of time to be as prepared as possible.” New Zealand not only tries to cope with natural disasters, but also helps its neighbours, as the UAE is doing in their region, he added.

“This summit is so important for everybody from the UAE and people like me from other countries”, said Kyoo Man Ha from South Korea, Assistant Professor at Business Continuity Management and Integrated Emergency Management Program of Rabdan Academy.