2011 Conference Report

On 23-25 March 2011, 76 representatives from UN agencies, INGOs, commercial companies, donors and academia came together at the Best Western Chavannes de Bogis to help answer some of the questions as to how the varying stakeholders in humanitarian programme delivery can play a successful role and facilitate activities that lead us closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The 2011 Fleet Forum Annual Conference was hosted by UNOSAT-UNITAR and their area of expertise provided this years conference theme: New technologies. UNOSAT-UNITAR also hosted the HUMANAV workshop this was held as a back to back event on Friday 25 March. 

In the opening remarks, Rose Verdurmen – Director of the Moving the World Partnership between WFP and TNT and vice chair of the Fleet Forum Board – addressed the changing world in which aid and development agencies are operating. She stated that aid and development organisations had to work together with donors, corporate partners and academia in order to reach their goals. She stated that philanthropy is a passed station and that in order to be successful all stakeholders have to work together as equal partners.

After the opening remarks, Ambassador King – Special Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva – delivered the key note speech.She addressed the Multilaterail Aid Review, recently executed by DFID and how this review helps the donors to look at how effective aid and development organisations operate. She stated that the United States as a donor have an interest in the areas of safe transport, environmental efficiency and organisational efficiency. She mentioned that in times of reducing resources (funding) aid and development organisations have to deliver value for money.

Ambassador Betty E. King, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva. 

During the conference Fleet Forum announced two partnerships. The first is in the environmental pillar: Fleet Forum signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nissan to actively work together to reduce the environmental footprint of fleet operations. The partnership with Nissan will not only provide Fleet Forum members with the opportunity to test Nissan’s electric LEAF vehicle but both organisations will also work together to promote Clean Fleet Operations and to develop tools which will support that.

Together with North Star, Fleet Forum will develop training modules which will allow drivers to learn while they are on the road. With the ultimate goal to make transport in low and middle income countries safer and healthier.  

To support both partnerships participants were invited to make a test drive in the Nissan LEAF vehicle as well as test their health in the North Star Wellness Centre.