Gulf states can fill gap in much-needed aid space, UAE forum told

Challenges lie ahead but it's important to maintain hope, experts say

Bart Fonteyne, a senior adviser in development and humanitarian aid, at the Aid Foresight Programme in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

The Gulf can play a leading role in the distribution of humanitarian aid and a better world can be born from the “ashes” of global conflict, an Abu Dhabi forum heard on Monday.

Leaders in humanitarian aid gathered in the capital for the Aid Foresight Programme, a series of masterclasses on the UAE's humanitarian leadership presented by globally renowned experts, launched at the Zayed Foundation.

Public policy experts warned that geopolitical disruption, demographic shifts and collapsing trade norms are forcing nations to rethink how they give aid, build new alliances and defend humanitarian values

“This world is changing very fast,” Bart Fonteyne, a senior adviser in development and humanitarian aid at Hyphen, told The National. “What we thought 10 years ago is now completely different.”

He described the election of US President Donald Trump as “the biggest geopolitical disruption of this era”, adding that it marked the end of the US's role as the “beneficial hegemon” that once upheld the post-Cold War order.

How have times changed?

Mr Fonteyne said that the US used to be the “driver of the international world order” but that now Mr Trump is “withdrawing hard power” and is less interested in the “well-being of the world”. He added that European powers have to “become more strategic and geopolitical” or they risk not having a “seat at the table”.

On Gaza, he was clear in his condemnation of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe, yet insisted there is still room for long-term optimism. “It is unbelievable, a total war-crime scene, and the whole world is watching,” said Mr Fonteyne.

“[But] the world has only got better over the last 200 years. Out of the ashes of world wars, a better world was built. I can only hope the same for the crises in Sudan and Gaza – that finally the Palestinian people will get their future … Humankind has always shown the ability to overcome. Don’t despair. In the end, it does get better. I have faith in humanity.”

How can the UAE contribute?

There is also hope, Mr Fonteyne said, because Gulf states have proved their huge potential to lead global diplomatic efforts − seen most notably in the Emirates and Qatar with recent crises in mind.

He urged the UAE to continue to “forge partnerships in development aid with Western countries where capital is shifting to defence” while creating “partnerships of equality with developing countries”.

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, a trade policy expert and senior fellow at the London School of Economics' Trade Policy Hub, agreed and noted the growing importance of the Gulf on the international stage. “The region, and especially the UAE, is becoming more important than ever,” he said. “That also means there are great responsibilities.”

He added that GCC states “need to balance co-operation with the US” while making new partners elsewhere. Mr Lee-Makiyama also pointed to China’s Belt and Road Initiative as forward planning “to make sure that there will be new customers in the future”, citing Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and sub-Saharan Africa as potential growth regions.

“The world is actually coming to the UAE,” he added. “It has positioned itself as one of the most interesting countries in the region. There is a reason why the European Union has decided to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the UAE as the first Gulf country.”

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, a senior advisor for trade, technology and international affairs. Victor Besa / The National

How can aid distribution be improved?

Earlier this year, the Trump administration moved to cut $5 billion in foreign aid. Cuts include some $3 billion allocated in funding for USAID and $900 million in State Department funds. Some $800 million allocated for international peacekeeping operations and more than $300 million to encourage democratic values in other countries were also among the cuts.

The fallout from this highlighted the need, perhaps more than ever before, to maintain a strong international structure for aid agencies to operate in.

Barry McManus, a defence expert who has advised leaders across the UK, US and Nato for more than 40 years, said the UAE has the potential to forge a new role for itself in the changing global landscape.

He described the Emirates as “one of the few places, not just in the region, but around the world, where there is an active approach to developing new ways of doing business, new thoughts, new innovative approaches to bring government better together in its approach to the nation and to the region”.

He said the country’s aid philosophy treats assistance as “a start part to a future process of improvement” focused on “long-term resilience for those people who are getting aid”.

Traditional approaches, he noted, “have been almost transactional”, whereas the UAE integrates government ministries, NGOs and international partners to deliver “a more integrated package of support”.

An important element, Mr McManus added, is the inclusion of defence capabilities. “Defence entities have unique abilities to not just provide aid, but to do development work – medical, engineering, logistics, communications, teaching,” he said.

“The approach here is to rethink how defence works with foreign affairs, education and health to deliver an aid package that is not just relief but something longer term.”

The Aid Foresight Programme was announced recently by the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, the Office of Development Affairs and the Presidential Court.

The five-day programme covers a wide range of topics, including innovation and leadership, innovation in government, data and analytics in development and humanitarian aid, developments in Africa, East Asia and Latin America, partnerships and resources, climate and health diplomacy, innovative financing and the impact of geopolitical shifts on aid.