The Global WASH Cluster and the German WASH Network convene a panel of humanitarian experts for EHF2024 talk in Brussels
Publication: 17 Mar 2024
The Global WASH Cluster (GWC) and the German WASH Network have organized a humanitarian talk at the European Humanitarian Forum 2024 on 19 March 2024, in Brussels, Belgium.
The session, titled “Joined-up action for Collective Outcomes: Accelerating access and coordination for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in fragile contexts and forgotten crises” will be a platform for GWC and its partners to showcase their commitment and thought-leadership as a champion of 'Collective Outcomes' for the Water Action Decade within and beyond the WASH sector. It will showcase examples of innovative partnerships that are imperative to reach sustainable and resilient WASH outcomes, such as the WASH Insecurity Analysis and the evidence-based Joint Operational Framework to strengthen collaboration among humanitarian, development, and peace (HDP) actors.
The talk will shine the spotlight on the critical role that coordination plays in reducing the impact of crises.
Along with speakers from the GWC and the German WASH Network, a panel of thought leaders will share best practices and complementary approaches taken by HDP actors to achieve inclusive and equitable impact on humanitarian coordination and response, and in particular, on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. Get to know the speakers below:
Top row: D. Kaelin, T. Chaiban, E. Lobel, F. Soda, C. Pellaton, C. Roselli / Bottom row: M. Ramos, J. Rueck, K. Miyamoto, H. Jahns, R. Rajasingham
Moderator
Mr. David Kaelin, Urban Services & Policy Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross
David Kaelin, a seasoned senior engineer at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has dedicated the last 15 years to coordinating some of his organization's most extensive and intricate engineering programs in challenging environments like Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Myanmar. Since 2022, he has been based at the ICRC headquarters, focusing on the critical aspects of the protection of essential services in armed conflicts and on the ICRC’s capacity development relative to long-term and multiyear programs
Opening Remarks
Mr. Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, UNICEF
In May 2023 Edward Chaiban was appointed as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as the Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, for UNICEF. Prior to this appointment Mr. Chaiban was the Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccines Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) heading an inter-agency partnership between UNICEF, WHO and Gavi. Mr Chaiban has extensive experience of working with UNICEF in a number of positions such as Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Director of Programmes, Director of Emergency Programmes and Representative in Ethiopia, Sudan and Sri Lanka. Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. Chaiban was Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Political Science from Tufts University and a Master of Arts Degree in Development and Arab Studies from Georgetown University, USA.
Ms. Elke Löbel, Commissioner for refugee policy, Director for displacement and migration; crisis prevention and management, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany
Elke Löbel headed the task force on displacement and migration which was set up by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2015 and which was merged with the Directorate she now heads in 2016. From 2011 to 2015, She was Head of the Division dealing with the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Palestinian territories, Yemen, Gulf States) and Egypt. Previously, she had been responsible for cooperation with political foundations and the churches, for budgetary affairs and for cooperation with South Asia (Sri Lanka and Nepal). Before joining the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2006, Elke Löbel managed the Exposure and Dialogue Programme (EDP) Bonn, where she was responsible for developing and implementing exposure and dialogue programmes in Asia, Africa and Latin America in collaboration with the German parliament, the BMZ, GIZ, KfW and faith-based aid organisations.
Policy Dialogue: Main trends and developments in the sector
Mr. Federico Soda, Director of the Department of Humanitarian Response & Recovery for the International Organization for Migration
Federico has more than 20 years of experience in crisis preparedness and response, displacement, forced migration and programming related to returns, disarmament demobilization and reintegration, labour migration, counter-smuggling and counter-trafficking. He has extensive experience working with governments, civil society, academia and in complex, integrated UN missions. He is currently the Director of the Department of Emergencies in Headquarters, Geneva. Since 2001 he has served with IOM in Libya, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Myanmar, the Regional Office in Bangkok, Headquarters and as Director of the Coordination Office for the Mediterranean in Rome.
Ms. Caroline Pellaton, Operations Director, Geneva Water Hub
Caroline Pellaton holds a doctorate in earth sciences from the University of Geneva. As a member of the Steering Committee, she contributes to defining the overall strategy and of the Geneva Water Hub. Her responsibilities include overseeing the implementation of the Geneva Water Hub's programs and linking with key stakeholders. Additionally, she shares responsibility, alongside Dr. Mara Tignino, for defining and implementing the program on the protection of water in armed conflicts. From 2007 to 2018, Ms. Pellaton served as a coordinator for the Water and Habitat unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross, working in diverse contexts such as Sri Lanka, Niger, the Republic of South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Ms. Cecilia Roselli, Head of Geneva Office, Norwegian Refugee Council
Cecilia Roselli is the Director of Humanitarian Policy and Representation Office for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Geneva. She was appointed in 2020, following several years leading the NRC Partnership and Humanitarian Policy Unit. Cecilia is an experienced and passionate senior humanitarian professional committed to principled humanitarian action. Before joining NRC, Cecilia worked with ICVA in Geneva to kick start NGO initiatives to improve efficiency in the humanitarian sector based on her knowledge and understanding of donor policies and procedures developed while consulting in Brussels with the EU. Cecilia has extensive experience in coordinating and managing humanitarian operations, building on a decade of deployment with INGOs and UN agencies, mainly in the African context. Cecilia started her career with an Italian NGO after graduating with a Master in Law.
Technical Dialogue: New and innovative tools, partnerships and country-level examples
Ms. Monica Ramos, Global WASH Cluster Coordinator
Monica Ramos is a WASH professional, with 20 years’ international water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experience in roles ranging from country-level programme manager to global level strategic advisor and donor. She has a diverse range of professional experience in the WASH sector, including working with international organisations (ACF, Oxfam GB, CARE, Save the Children UK, UNICEF); global coordination mechanisms (Global WASH Cluster and Global Task Force for Cholera Control); and donor agencies (EU/ECHO and USAID/OFDA) throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. In her current role as the Global WASH Cluster Coordinator with UNICEF, she is passionate about achieving optimum results in the humanitarian WASH sector, while ensuring collective efforts are well-coordinated, at scale, with the highest quality standards to deliver effective people-centred programming to men, women and children affected by emergencies and humanitarian crises.
Mr. Johannes Rueck, German WASH Network Coordinator
Johannes Rück is Deputy Managing Director of the German Toilet Organization and Coordinator of the German WASH Network, which brings together 25 German NGOs that are committed to improving water, sanitation and hygiene worldwide. He looks back on over a decade of experience as a WASH coordinator, trainer and advocate in political dialogue. Johannes loves to break the toilet taboo and is dedicated to the triple nexus, WASH systems approaches and market-based programming.
Mr. Kit Miyamoto, CEO and Humanitarian Coordinator, Miyamoto International
Dr. H. Kit Miyamoto is the CEO and Humanitarian Coordinator of Miyamoto International, a global engineering and humanitarian organization with 30 locations on five continents. He leads with one purpose: to make the world a better, safer place. Dr. Miyamoto is a world-renowned expert in disaster and post-conflict resiliency, response, and reconstruction. He provides expert engineering and policy consultation to the World Bank, USAID, UN agencies, governments, and major corporations. He is also a California Seismic Safety Commissioner. Dr. Miyamoto holds advanced degrees from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and California State University, where he has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. His team has won the Engineering News-Record’s Best Global Project award an unprecedented five times and the U.S. Presidential “E” award. Major media outlets such as CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Al Jazeera, LA Times, NY Times, and Rolling Stone have profiled him. He was also featured in the “Designing for Disaster” exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Closing Remarks
Ms. Hanna Jahns, Director General, ECHO
Hanna assumed the position of Director for Strategy and Policy at the European Commission, Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations – DG ECHO, Dir B, in February 2024. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of Disaster Preparedness and Prevention in DG ECHO from May 2023. She also held the position of Deputy Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Johannes Hahn from 2019 to 2023. In this capacity, she managed responsibilities related to the Multiannual Financial Framework, Annual Budget, and relations with International Financial Institutions and Treasury. From 2014 to 2019, she served as a Cabinet Member for Commissioner Johannes Hahn, focusing on neighborhood and enlargement matters. Before that, she held the role of Cabinet Member for Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for Regional Policy, from 2010 to 2014. From 2007 to 2010, she was State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development in Poland. Earlier, from 2003 to 2007, she served as Head of the Regional Policy Unit and Counselor at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU. Hanna's educational background includes earning a PhD in Economics from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland, in 2002, and obtaining an MA in International Economic Relations from the University of Economics, Poznan, Poland, in 1997.
Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination Unit, OCHA
Ramesh Rajasingham was appointed Head and Representative of OCHA in Geneva and Director of the Coordination Division in September 2018. Mr. Rajasingham has more than 25 years’ experience in the UN, including as OCHA’s Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. He has carried out assignments with OCHA and UNICEF and worked in crisis settings around the world, including as Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. Mr. Rajasingham, a Sri Lankan national, holds a Master’s in Economics and speaks English and French.
