Third Meeting of HELP

27 – 28 May 2014
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

The Third Meeting of the High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP) was held on 27 May 2014 at Stadhuis in Rotterdam, hosted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment of the Netherlands. The meeting was attended by more than 40 participants from HELP member organizations representing national governments, international organizations, civil society and private sector.
The meeting was chaired by HELP’s Vice-Chair, H.E. Ms. Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Kingdom of the Netherlands.

10:00 Opening

  • Opening Remarks by H.E. Ms. Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Vice-Chair of HELP
  • Opening Remarks by Mr. Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam
  • Address by Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, US Army Corps of Engineers, USA
  • Keynote Speech: “Dutch Water Management”, Mr. Wim Kuijken, the Delta Programme Commissioner, Kingdom of the Netherlands

 

11:00 Membership of HELP
 

11:30 HELP’s Action Strategy
 

15.00 Special Edition of Water Policy to be launched at the 7th World Water Forum

Presentations on case studies of water-related disasters and policy lessons learned

  • Mr. Steven Stockton, Director of Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USA
  • Mr. Toshiyuki Adachi, Vice-Minister for Engineering Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
  • The Netherlands, Mr. Koos Wieriks, Councilor to Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, Kingdom of the Netherlands
  • Dr. Keizrul bin Abdullah, Chairperson, Network of Asian River Basin Organization (NARBO)
  • Ms. Anne-Marie Meganck, Head of the International and European Unit at the General Directorate for Risk Prevention, Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, French Republic &
  • Mr. Charles Baubion, Policy Analyst – Risk Management, OECD
  • Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Chair, Global Water Partnership

 

16:15 Other matters
 

16:35 Wrap-up
 

16:45 Closing of HELP meeting