Riyadh, March 01, 2020, SPA -- Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh region, inaugurated here today 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum being organized by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in the presence of princes, ministers, members of diplomatic corps, leaders of local, Gulf, Arab, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations, international organizations working in the humanitarian field, and experts in this field. -- More 16:01 LOCAL TIME 13:01 GMT 0013 Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques: Governor of Riyadh region inaugurates 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 2 Riyadh Then, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, delivered a speech in which he conveyed greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the participants, pointing out that "we meet to pursue a noble humanitarian mission in light of the political crises and natural disasters occurring in many parts of the world." "Led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been continuously laid the foundations for continuing to provide assistance to alleviate the suffering people in need around the world. Saudi Arabia provides support to crisis-affected groups to ensure that all people in the world have the opportunity to lead decent, dignified lives," Prince Faisal said. The Governor of Riyadh Region affirmed that the establishment of KSrelief was an affirmation of our country’s commitment to providing ongoing humanitarian relief around the world. --More 17:05 LOCAL TIME 14:05 GMT 0017 Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques: Governor of Riyadh region inaugurates 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 3 Riyadh Then, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered a speech in which he welcomed Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah and the attendees, hoping that this forum's outcomes will support the march of humanitarian work in our region and in the world. He also thanked all humanitarian workers in general, and the humanitarian organizations in particular, for their effective contributions and efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in need. Prince Faisal noted that the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on strong principles. "It strives to establish international peace and security and support affected peoples through initiatives that lead to sustainable development with the international community," he affirmed. "The establishment of KSrelief is one of the initiatives adopted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Through the Kingdom Vision 2030, the KSrelief has achieved a global leadership that made it one of the pioneers in the humanitarian work," he said. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting the G20 summit, and the accompanying economic, political and humanitarian renaissance. It reflects the Saudi keenness to be an active member in the international community to serve the common international interests," Prince Faisal asserted. He stressed that the exacerbation of political and military conflicts and the spread of the scourge of terrorism are among the main causes of humanitarian crises in the world, which require all countries in the world to activate the preventive diplomacy. "The Saudi humanitarian actions are based on a clear and stable strategy. It doesn't consider any political purposes or any religious or ethnic groups, which is the principle that Saudi Arabia has taken in its humanitarian dealings," he concluded. --More 17:21 LOCAL TIME 14:21 GMT 0018 Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques: Governor of Riyadh region inaugurates 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 4 Riyadh On his part, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), said in his speech that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing a significant transition that aims to achieve the goals of the ambitious Vision 2030, which is currently being implemented by our side leadership, adding that "the Kingdom recently attracted the world's attention on the economic front by hosting the G20 Summit, and is doing so again now from a humanitarian standpoint by hosting this forum." Dr. Al-Rabeeah noted that the Kingdom's keenness in sustainable development and the humanitarian-development nexus will enrich the outcomes of this important forum, affirming that the Kingdom is keen to support the growth of the global economy and the sustainable development of all societies, and is one of the top donor countries in the world for international humanitarian aid. "This forum is being attended by a significant number of highly qualified humanitarian experts and global dignitaries, and has been organized in cooperation with the United Nations. With more than 2,400 registrants in attendance from 80 countries, representing 100 UN, international and national agencies and organizations and 11 universities, the world awaits with great interest the forum's outcomes and recommendations on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of global humanitarian work," he added. Dr. Al Rabeeah pointed out that the working sessions will focus on key themes related to the challenges facing humanitarian action today, including: the humanitarian-development nexus and the mechanisms for its implementation; evidence-based humanitarian practices; the challenges facing women, children and people with special needs in crisis-affected areas; humanitarian volunteerism; the role of the media in supporting humanitarian action; and the role of humanitarian health assistance in combating diseases and epidemics, adding that other sessions will include discussions by humanitarian experts about some of the most urgent humanitarian issues facing the world today, and innovative ways to address them. "In a continuation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's pioneering role in the humanitarian field, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has approved the Kingdom's sponsorship of the 2020 Pledging Conference to support the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan in partnership with United Nations," Dr. Al- Rabeeah concluded. On her part, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Alhashemi said that the Kingdom of Humanity, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, is leading the humane movement and provides to the whole world a civilized model for dealing with those crises in order to maintain international security and stability and ensure a decent living for the peoples in the world. She hailed the KSrelief's efforts in the humanitarian action map, highlighting the Saudi-UAE joint humanitarian action in dealing with issues and crises. --More 17:41 LOCAL TIME 14:41 GMT 0019 Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques: Governor of Riyadh region inaugurates 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 5 Riyadh Then, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock delivered a speech in which he thanked the Kingdom for hosting this forum. "While the humanitarian assistance is extremely effective in saving lives, it doesn't solve the underlying problem. The world needs to get better at preventing and solving challenges in order to decrease humanitarian need," he said. Then, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, launched the website of Saudi Aid for Refugees and IDPs, and the Saudi International Volunteer Portal. Prince Faisal also honored top donors, the volunteers, and the humanitarian ambassadors of the KSrelief. On the sidelines of the 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed 16 agreements with a number of humanitarian and relief organizations. Then, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, toured the exhibition. --SPA 17:51 LOCAL TIME 14:51 GMT 0020 www.spa.gov.sa/w1277374