UAE to host international humanitarian summit during Expo 2020 Dubai

An elderly Yemeni man receives food parcels provided by the Emirati branch of the Red Crescent, in the southern port city of Aden. (File/Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)

• The summit, to be held on March 30 next year, will focus on racism, gender equality, women empowerment, intolerance and discrimination
• The announcement was made to coincide with World Humanitarian Day

LONDON: The UAE announced that it will host an international humanitarian summit in Dubai next year as part of its Expo 2020.
The summit, to be held on March 30, aims to find appropriate solutions to some of the ongoing issues around the world, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other issues related to racism, gender equality, women empowerment, intolerance and discrimination.
It will bring together governmental, charitable, religious, and human rights institutions, intellectuals, artists, media professionals, cultural associations and the private sector to hold dialogues and shed light on current concerns that the world needs to address at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The announcement was made to coincide with World Humanitarian Day and comes a day after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE vice president and prime minister, and ruler of Dubai, said the Emirates would offer Golden Visas to charity and humanitarian aid workers in recognition of their efforts and sacrifices. A further announcement to provide long-term residence visas was also made on Thursday.
The summit will provide a platform to discuss the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance in crises, “in order to lead, coordinate, and put efforts toward assistance overseas responding to humanitarian crises, natural disasters and manmade disasters,” the announcement on state-run WAM news agency said.
“The International Humanitarian Summit will play a major role in promoting and assisting international humanitarian organizations that can better people’s lives and save more lives,” it added.
“The UAE’s policies put humanitarian and development work at the center, which is evident by the establishment of hundreds of humanitarian projects and institutions,” said Dawood Al-Shezawi, secretary-general of the summit’s board of trustees, said. “Globally, the UAE plays a leading humanitarian role, dedicating resources and efforts to empowering communities and removing barriers to sustainable development,” he added.
The summit will feature a Global Leaders Debate to discuss “the increased fragmentation around the world due to extremism and intolerance, which play a destructive role in achieving global happiness and prosperity,” and find “policies to counter these problems and propose initiatives to further boost human fraternity and tolerance,” the statement said.
The International Humanitarian Summit will also feature an art and photography gallery showcasing works from around the world that promote humanitarian values, and anecdotal segments providing encouraging stories about life-changing initiatives to help improve society. The event will also host a digital exhibition where local governments, private institutions and international organizations will unveil their humanitarian efforts.