Signing Ceremony of MoU between ITU and Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO)
Opening remarks
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
25 March 2021
Dr. Saleh Bin Hamad Al Twaijri, Secretary General, Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization,
Dear colleagues,
Good morning, good afternoon,
I am delighted to be here today along with my colleagues from ITU's Regional Office for the Arab States, to reinforce our important cooperation with the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization, to leverage the power of ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management in the region.
2020 brought about many challenges that forced us to shift and adapt the way we work. Despite continued difficulties and restrictions that are still in place, we carry forward.
Today, our ability to come together virtually for this signing ceremony, reflects the critical role that digital technologies play in ensuring the continuity of work and livelihood – not just for us – but for billions of people the world over.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, disasters disrupted lives. Disasters take the lives of at least one million people every decade, and leave millions more homeless.
Natural hazards and extreme weather events have left families and communities devasted in their wake, and the destruction leaves them with rebuilding and rehabilitation struggles for years on end. That's why we need to better the use of ICTs. Of course, the COVID pandemic has confirmed the life-saving role that ICTs have played.
As we build on ongoing work relating to emergency preparedness, including the ITU Guidelines for National Emergency Telecommunication Plans we released last year, today marks yet another milestone in strengthening our collaboration to increase disaster preparedness at country and regional levels. It reaffirms ICTs as uniquely powerful tools that can help significantly reduce the risk of hazards.
This Framework Cooperation Agreement only marks the beginning of our collaboration with the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization. We commit to continue providing support to ARCO to be able to use ICTs to connect Arab National Societies of Red Crescent and Red Cross, and National Emergency Telecommunications Committees with the ARCO-Arab Center for Disaster Preparedness and Crises.
It is our desire to work with partners like you, to reduce the vulnerability of communities that are in constant risk in the region. I am confident that our partnership will go a long way to deliver on the promise of ICTs to save lives, working hand in hand with communities that are at the centre of a resilient pandemic recovery and future disaster response efforts.
Thank you.
