ReliefWeb

(Cairo, 29 May 2013) –The Secretariat General of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), signed today, Wednesday 29 May 2013, a joint Plan of Action that reinforces cooperation on humanitarian issues.

The Plan of Action was signed by H. E. Ambassador Faeqa Saeed Al-Saleh, LAS Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Social Affairs Sector, and Mr. Rashid Khalikov, the Director of OCHA Geneva, within the framework of activating a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations. Following the signing ceremony, Mr. Khalikov voiced his appreciation of the partnership that has developed over the years with the League of Arab States. “This Plan of Action is an opportunity to build on our collaboration and take it one step further. It is a milestone that will enhance our efforts to address humanitarian needs in the region”.

Against a backdrop of growing humanitarian emergencies in the Arab region and around the world, stronger cooperation between organizations that play such an important role in humanitarian affairs is essential.

“By working together and building on each other’s strengths, we can better respond to the many humanitarian challenges we are facing in the region”, said Ambassador Faeqa Saeed Al-Saleh. “Together, the UN and LAS can save more lives and better alleviate human suffering”.

The joint Plan of Action sets out a framework for regular dialogue and exchange of information between the two organizations, and provisions for closer coordination in humanitarian response. The Plan also focuses on ensuring better preparedness for emergencies and resilience for local communities, building capacity to respond to humanitarian needs, exchange of expertise, resource mobilisation and joint advocacy.

The Plan of Action moves forward several years of increasingly close collaboration between the UN and LAS on humanitarian issues at a time of growing humanitarian needs in the Arab region and around the world. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between LAS and UN in November 2010.  For further information, please contact:

Samir Elhawary, Humanitarian Affairs Officer at OCHA, elhawary@un.org, Tel. (+20) 10 66650625 Dr Dina Nabhan, Advisor at LAS Health and Humanitarian Aid Department, dinanabhan@gmail.com, Tel. (+20) 1002187051
Mr Abdel Moneim El Hakim, Officer in charge of OCHA File at LAS, abdelmoneim.elhakim@las.int, Tel (+20) 1002553148