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Collaboration key to success as new initiatives are launched in the field of Humanitarian Relief at Davos
Contact: Richard Elliott
World Economic Forum, Member companies and UN pioneer two new initiatives: World Economic Forum and UN create ‘Guiding Principles’ for humanitarian relief sector – Agility, TNT and UPS to contribute ‘Logistics Emergency Teams’ in natural disaster zones Davos, Switzerland, 25 January 2008 – The World Economic Forum, Member companies and the United Nations today launched two initiatives to facilitate further and deeper private sector support to humanitarian relief operations. The first initiative is a set of ten high level Guiding Principles designed to steer both the private sector and humanitarian community as they work together to provide effective relief to those in need. The second initiative is a unique, pioneering example of collaboration between several companies and the humanitarian relief sector. Agility, TNT and UPS, three leading logistics and transport companies, are joining forces to help the humanitarian sector with the logistics of emergency response to large-scale natural disasters. The World Economic Forum has facilitated these initiatives by offering a neutral platform for the development of partnerships between the humanitarian relief sector and Member companies. “The United Nations is eager to increase its partnerships with the private sector, particularly given the escalating number and scale of disasters as a result of climate change,” said John Holmes, United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “We need to bring together all public and private capacities – global, national, regional, and local – to respond to the needs of growing numbers of vulnerable people. These Principles should help us do that,” he added. “The future of humanitarian partnership is collaborative,” said Peter Bakker, TNT’s CEO and the initiator of the initiative. “This is the first time three industry leaders put competition aside to contribute their core competencies to the humanitarian community. We are calling for other logistics and transport companies to join.” The three companies and the United Nations Global Logistics Cluster today agreed on guidelines and conditions for the intervention of joint “Logistics Emergency Teams” (LETs). LETs’ support includes providing logistics specialists (e.g. airport coordinators, airport managers and warehouse managers), logistics assets (e.g. warehouses, trucks, forklifts) and transportation services. LETs will intervene for the first three to six weeks following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or storms. “The LETs programme presents an incredible opportunity to bring the full weight of the logistics industry to bear at a time when lives are in the balance. UPS is pleased and honoured to join with our respected competitors in this effort,” said Daniel Brutto, President, UPS International. The companies stand ready to deploy Logistics Emergency Teams worldwide upon request from the United Nations Global Logistics Cluster. The nature of the request, local situations and the companies’ available resources will dictate the teams’ size and composition. As a general rule, they will serve in countries where member companies already operate, thereby leveraging their knowledge of local constraints. A committee representing the Member companies is to answer requests from the Global Logistics Cluster led by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and decide on the deployment of LETs. “When disaster strikes, our job is to mobilize massive assistance and to make sure it reaches those in need – fast,” said Josette Sheeran, WFP's Executive Director. “Private sector expertise and corporate partnerships are critical to helping us save lives.” “Global presence brings social responsibilities. As we grow as companies and as an industry, particularly in emerging markets, we can see for ourselves that the scourge of poverty, disease and disasters affects us all. No one can afford to ignore these problems – and in fact, working together, we are in a unique position to help,” said Tarek Sultan, Chairman and Managing Director of Agility. The quality of the partnership was first demonstrated on the ground in August 2007 when Agility, TNT and UPS set up Logistics Emergency Teams in Indonesia during an operational exercise with the World Food Programme. In February 2007, UPS and TNT together offered free warehouses to the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots run by the World Food Programme in Ghana and Panama. “After the devastating tsunami in 2004, and the increasing natural disasters since, the private sector has heard the call to action to support humanitarian relief operations,” said Richard Samans, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. These two initiatives are only a start. The core competencies, resources and increasing global reach of the private sector need to be further leveraged to save lives. “The Forum is eager to further facilitate and support these efforts,” he added. __________________________________________________ Notes to Editors • Everything about the Annual Meeting 2008:
http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting
Logistics Emergency Teams The Logistics Emergency Teams add to the Member companies’ respective humanitarian partnerships. Agility's projects in the last year alone include helping to transport enough food to feed 43,000 people in Indonesia for the World Food Programme after serious flooding in Jakarta, working with the local government in Bangladesh to procure and transport food and bottled water after a cyclone, delivering critical life support materials to 500 displaced families in Iraq with the International Medical Corps, financing a primary healthcare centre to serve 13,000 refugees in Darfur, and conducting nation-wide blood drives for the American Red Cross in Agility offices in the United States. TNT has worked with the World Food Programme for five years, helping over 1 million school children and tackling over 30 emergencies. In 2007, TNT supported the WFP in Mozambique, Sudan, Bangladesh and Nicaragua. UPS is a long-time supporter of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. In addition to funding, UPS is conducting assessments of CARE facilities in Honduras, Sudan and Indonesia to help determine ways to improve the organization's emergency response network.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (www.weforum.org) |
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