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World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) organized by the United Nations set to take place in Istanbul on 23-24 May 2016 hosted by Turkey has started today in İstanbul .
The summit is planned to bring the global community together to reaffirm solidarity with people affected by crises caused by natural disasters, armed conflicts and global humanitarian problems and to develop solutions for these problems.
Who has attended?
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has met with around 60 heads of states and governments in the breakfast meeting of the leaders segment which was the first programme of the summit. Head of State of Russia, Vladimir Putin had earlier announced that he would not be able to attend the meeting due to his tight schedule.
The attendants have had their family photographs taken. Erdoğan and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have stood beside each other.
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Çipras, Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila, Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte, President of Azerbaijan İlham Aliyev, President of Albania Buyar Nişani, Chairperson of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir İzzetbegoviç, President of Central African Republic Faustin Archange Touadera, President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar Kitaroviç, President of Gabon Ali Bongo, President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Ireland Michael Higgins, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, Chairperson of the Presidential Council of Libya Fayez Mustafa Sarraj, President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina, President of Mauretania Muhammed Veled Abdülaziz, President of Mali İbrahim Boubacar Keita, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanoviç, President of Republic of Nauru Baron Divavesi Waqa, President of Niger Muhammed Yusuf, President of State of Palastine Mahmud Abbas, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, President of Slovakia Andrej Kiska, Preisident of Somalia Hasan Şeyh Mahmud, President of Macedonia Gyorgi İvanov, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko were in the picture.
What will be the outcome of the summit?
The United Nations has decided Turkey to host the World Humanitarian Summit as it has been hosting around 3 billion refugees, and is the world’s third biggest humanitarian aid donor and the “most generous donor” in respect of the ratio of the aids to domestic income.
Three documents are expected to be issued as a result of the summit held upon call of the Secretary General of the UN for a concrete progress in within a period of three years.
The Presidency summary report and the list containing all the commitments made by the related parties will be the two important outcomes of the summit. In addition, the General Secretary of UN is expected to develop a report as to the results of the summit in coming September.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had earlier announced that they would not attend the summit as the topics and issues in the summit would not be open to discussion in a real sense. (NV/DG)
Click here to visit the official website of the summit.
Photograph: Yasin Bülbül - İstanbul/Anadolu Agency (AA)