UNHCO Directors’-Conference held in the United Arab Emirates

NEW YORK / UAE, November 25 (UNHCO)

The directors of the UNHCO Special-Missions have been invited by the Secretary-General, H.E. Hamit Manar, to the annual Directors’-Conference in the UAE, which was held between the 22nd and the 24th of November 2011.

In addition to the discussion of the annual work programme 2011 and the activities of the local missions on the basis of the earlier adopted programme, the director of international relations of the UNHCO, Rodolfo Vasquez, initiated a discussion about the new work programme of the Organziation. The members talked about the activities of the UNHCO in order to assist governments in strengthening national health systems, to increase public awareness on international health issues and to facilitate the cooperation between its members in order to foster a positive impact on coordinating health action in crisis.

The Conference was attended by officials of the UNHCO, local health organizations as well as health-experts from the Middle-East and the GCC countries. The members of the Conference discussed as well on strengthening the cooperation between UNHCO and other IGO’s, which aim to promote global health, as well as relief organizations in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of work. The discussion led to the question how the Special and Local Missions can achieve the objectives of the annual work programme to improve the health of pregnant women and to reduce child mortality in emerging nations.

The Secretary-General, who did not attend the Conference due to an official visit to Indonesia, pointed out that the Conference was a significant step for the UNHCO to further the relationship between the UNHCO and the GCC states. Prior to the Conference, the Secretary-General informed the government of Kuwait about the UNHCO statute and the membership.