Inaugurated by Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the event is being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, supported by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est., the United Nations and the UAE Red Crescent Society.
In his opening remarks, Sir John Holmes, Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, lauded the Dubai Cares initiative for humanitarian and charitable causes.
“With the active involvement from corporations, schools, public and private individuals, the initiative was able to raise an astonishing $ 3.4 billion to help improve the lives of children around the world,” he said.
He added that over the past three years, (2006-2008), GCC countries have given a combined total of $ 488 million and pledged a further $ 320 million. “We need to strike the right balance between bilateral and multilateral engagement and bilateral and multilateral giving,” he said.
He also urged participants to strengthen humanitarian action for the needy the world over. “We need more current resources to help us meet the dramatic escalation in humanitarian needs in the coming years, particularly from current compound threats such as climate change and structural food and energy price rises,” he pointed out.
Ibrahim Bumelha, Cultural and Humanitarian Adviser to Shaikh Mohammed and Vice-President of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est, said, “With a world blighted by suffering and poverty, we wish to further facilitate the work of local and regional humanitarian actors to meet with the ultimate goal of reducing suffering around the world.”
