# HNPW 2023 - Businesses on the frontlines of humanitarian response: Lessons learned from Türkiye and beyond
There can no longer be any doubt that the private sector plays a critical role in disaster preparedness, humanitarian response, and early recovery. Businesses of every size are deploying their resources and expertise to support humanitarian response and improve the lives of families and children from Türkiye to Ukraine, the Horn of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and beyond.
As governments around the world confront the challenges of more frequent and severe climate-driven disasters, conflict and forced displacement, and the lingering economic effects of the pandemic, it is clear that all stakeholders in society – including the private sector – must work together.
Investing in local businesses as partners in disaster risk management contributes to building community resilience while strengthening local capacity, ownership, and leadership. Engaging local businesses as partners in humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery can also help make aid more effective and efficient and ensures that emergency relief can contribute to long-term economic development.
This high-level panel discussion at the 2023 [Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week](http://www.hnpw.org) will **highlight the benefits of involving local businesses** in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; **discuss how to address existing coordination challenges between the private sector and humanitarian organizations; highlight the urgency to scale up preparedness and disaster risk reduction with private sector**, and **share lessons learned from recent high-profile emergencies**, including the earthquakes in Türkiye.
### Objectives
Participants in this session are expected to:
1. Have an honest conversation about how the humanitarian system can better engage local businesses during emergencies.
2. Leverage lessons learned from the Türkiye-Syria earthquakes and other disasters to identify opportunities and challenges for private sector partnerships that can deliver a more effective humanitarian response.
3. Develop strategies to support increased private sector engagement with the humanitarian ecosystem, including by scaling up disaster risk reduction in humanitarian action.
### Participants
This session is open to all interested participants from the humanitarian, development, government, academic, and private sector communities. **Advance registration is required and can be completed [here](https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Xtvls0QpN0iZ9XSIrOVDGWomvUCqJpVPiL-5GDsaFGhUMVE4U0c2N0NNRkRKUUI0Sk1OMVc4NzNXUi4u).**
### **Programme**
| 4:00 pm | **Welcome and opening remarks** - **Ms. Paola Albrito**, Director, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) - **Ms. Edem Wosornu**, Chief, Response Support Branch, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - **Mr. Kareem Elbayar**, Programme Coordinator, OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBI) |
|---|---|
| 4:10 pm | **Panel discussion: Leveraging the power of the private sector during humanitarian emergencies** - **Mr. Arda Batu**, Secretary General and Board Member, Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) - **Dr. Kit Miyamoto**, CEO and Founder, Miyamoto International Mr. Uwe Steckhan, Chief - Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships & Advocacy, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - **Ms. Elisa Trujillo**, Director-General, National Support Center for Epidemiological Contingencies and Disasters (CENACED) and ARISE Mexico *Moderator: **Ms. Virginie Mangin**, Head of Editors, SWI swissinfo.ch* |
| 4:50 pm | **Interactive questions and answers** |
| 5:25 pm | **Closing remarks** - **Mr. Sahba Sobhani**, Director, Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
### About the organizers
**OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBI)**
Established and jointly managed by the [United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs](http://www.unocha.org) (OCHA) and the [United Nations Development Programme](http://www.undp.org) (UNDP), CBI is dedicated to the idea that the private sector has a critical role to play in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. CBI Member Networks—independent chambers of commerce, trade federations, business associations and private foundations—are ready, willing and able to lead private sector disaster management in their countries. CBI empowers local businesses to work hand-in-hand with governments, civil society, humanitarian organizations and affected people to alleviate human suffering while building more resilient societies. Learn more at [connectingbusiness.org](https://www.connectingbusiness.org).
**United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)**
UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. UNICEF is renowned for its engagement and partnerships with the business sector. It has developed its public-private engagement approach to harness the untapped potential of business – their core expertise, operational capacities and networks – in order to enhance the efficiency of national humanitarian systems and to directly improve the lives of children affected by disasters. The ‘Business and Community Resilience' approach involves working with businesses and business networks to ensure that the Core [Commitments for Children](https://www.corecommitments.unicef.org/) are met in humanitarian action, and child rights are upheld with the sustainable development agenda. Learn more at .
**United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)**
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UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) was created in 1999 and is the United Nations focal point for disaster risk reduction. UNDRR oversees the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supporting countries in its implementation, monitoring and sharing what works in reducing existing risk and preventing the creation of new risk. Learn more at .
UNDRR facilitates the Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE) with a mission to create risk-resilient societies by energising the private sector in collaboration with the public sector and other stakeholders to achieve the outcome and goal of the Sendai Framework in a transparent and inclusive way that delivers local and measurable impact. Learn more at .
### Media partner
For more information, please read the [concept note](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HNPW-2023-Concept-Note-CBi-UNICEF-UNDRR.pdf) or contact .