 |
 |
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||||||||||||||||
| Operations | ||||||||||||||||
Benefits Operations What is IHC and how does it operate? International Humanitarian City (IHC) is an independent free zone authority created by the Government of Dubai that serves as an aid and humanitarian hub, providing local and international humanitarian professionals with facilities and services specifically designed to meet their needs and facilitate their global operations. IHC brings together United Nations agencies, local and international aid and development organisations, commercial companies and other stakeholders in a secure environment that fosters partnerships, social responsibility and global change. IHC is a non-religious, non-political and not-for-profit legal entity. Back to top Is IHC a relief organisation? No, IHC is not a relief organisation, or affiliated with any non-for-profit, non-governmental or commercial organisation. IHC provides memberships and offers its facilities and services to humanitarian organisations as well as commercial suppliers for efficient and effective humanitarian operations. Back to top Where is IHC located? IHC's premises are located in central Dubai near Business Bay (see IHC’s Location Map). Back to top Does IHC service the UAE/Middle East only? No, IHC welcomes humanitarian organisations from all over the world. IHC is an initiative of Dubai, yet it acts as a hub serving the local, regional and international humanitarian community. IHC has unique advantages as a transport and logistics centre, both in terms of maritime and air transport and will have the ability to provide a global emergency response solution to facilitate the delivery of coordinated instant global relief. The fact that Dubai is located within 7 hours flight from disaster prone areas in Asia and Africa determines the wide scope of territories that can be covered from operations coordinated out of IHC. Back to top Registration and legal What is the legal status of IHC? IHC is an independent free zone authority of the Government of Dubai. Back to top What type of organisations can register with IHC? Charities and NGOs emerging from the UAE must first be registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Once registered, they can then apply to lease office space with IHC and benefit from a wide range of value-added services. Back to top Does IHC accommodate overseas organisations only, or does it accept local NGOs and charities too? Charities and NGOs emerging from the UAE must first be registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once registered, they can then apply to lease office space with IHC and benefit from a wide range of value-added services. Back to top Does IHC endorse all the actions and declarations made by its registered members? IHC is developing a set of selection criteria and monitoring mechanisms, based on international best practices and in collaboration with the concerned governmental bodies, to support all members in applying its code of ethics. However, although IHC makes every effort to ensure that its community abides by this code, the actions and statements made by the organisations and companies registered with IHC do not necessarily reflect its official position and IHC cannot accept responsibility for any expenses or damages that may directly or indirectly result from them. In addition, the insertion of materials promoting organisations' or companies' goals and activities - which are in most cases directly provided by these organisations or companies - in the IHC website or any other IHC material do not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by IHC. Back to top Does IHC guarantee the seriousness and accuracy of all the announcements and candidacies posted through its recruitment and volunteer & pro bono e-portals? IHC offers the Career and Volunteering & Pro Bono sections to give public access to information about various volunteer and employment-related announcements and the opportunity to register as stand-by resources, primarily in Dubai. The information provided in these sections is posted by humanitarian organisations and companies or by IHC on their behalf. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or warranty - expressed or implied - with regards to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. For further information please refer to the Career and Volunteering & Pro Bono sections of the website Also, by posting their resume and details through the ‘Post Your CV’, ‘Volunteers Application Form’ and ‘Pro Bono Application Form’ sections, sections, applicants acknowledge and understand that they are voluntarily disclosing their entire profile to IHC as well as to all its member organisations and companies. Neither IHC nor any of its agents or consultants shall be liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information posted on and submitted through the 'Career' and 'Volunteering & Pro Bono' sections and assumes no responsibility for anyone's use of the information. Back to top Benefits What advantages is IHC offering to its members, compared to other free zones in the UAE? As with the other free zones in Dubai, the standard principles of registering and licensing organisations in a tax free environment and with 100% ownership apply in IHC. In addition to competitive rates, the unique aspect of IHC is that member organisations can benefit from a range of specialised services designed to facilitate and add value to their activities, as well as opportunities for synergies and networking with other humanitarian organisations and suppliers. At the same time, IHC’s code of ethics aims to encourage an operating environment of socially responsible like-minded organisations that buy-in to the same principles. Back to top What value is IHC adding to the humanitarian cycle? How does IHC help alleviate suffering? IHC positions itself as a facilitator of humanitarian efforts. It does not initiate any charitable initiatives nor coordinate humanitarian operations as such, but provides support to those who handle these operations, by bringing them under one roof, providing them with a platform for coordination and collaboration and addressing some of their essential needs through a range of specialised support services. Back to top What benefits is IHC bringing to the people of the UAE? As a humanitarian hub, IHC endeavors to create new job and internship opportunities for UAE nationals and residents, both in its own structures and in the humanitarian industry as a whole. It also aspires to enhance public awareness of humanitarianism and raise the country's profile as an active contributor to the international humanitarian process. Back to top What services is IHC offering to its members? IHC provides its members with a range of support services aiming to facilitate their activities at various levels:
Back to top What facilities is IHC offering to its members? At present, IHC operates out of its secure compound in central Dubai behind Business Bay, which includes 4 office buildings, 21,000 sq.m. of warehousing, meeting rooms, a cafeteria and a fully-equipped auditorium. Back to top Does IHC provide humanitarian training? IHC itself does not design and run training courses. However it is in the process of partnering with leading international educational institutions to establish training in management issues related to the humanitarian sector that will be run out of IHC's training facilities. Those seeking humanitarian training will be able to find information about it with IHC, but will enroll through the educational institutes offering the training and education programmes. Back to top Can UAE based humanitarian organisations which are not registered with IHC benefit from IHC’s services? IHC's specialised support services are firstly addressed to IHC members. However, humanitarian organisations based in the UAE that are not officially registered with IHC are strongly encouraged to get in touch with the IHC team to discuss possible ways to collaborate and make a difference. Also, all UAE based charities - IHC members as well as non-members - are offered the opportunity to post their 'Volunteer Appeals' on the IHC website, by submitting their draft announcement and full contact details to info@ihc.ae. Back to top Crisis and emergency response What is IHC’s involvement in emergency response? IHC is not directly involved in the humanitarian process, hence is not undertaking humanitarian campaigns directly. Its role is to facilitate operations from the humanitarian community on a long term basis. In future emergencies, IHC will be fulfilling specific coordination and facilitation functions that are being developed in partnership with the relevant humanitarian organisations and government entities. Back to top Should the public contact IHC in times of crisis for donations or information? Yes, definitely. While members of the humanitarian community are more than ever encouraged to post their news and volunteer appeals through the IHC website in times of crisis, the IHC team is continuously committed to helping media professionals identify and connect with organisations involved in a specific crisis, and provide the public with advice on where to address their cash or in-kind donations in Dubai. Back to top How is IHC raising awareness of humanitarian issues and crises? IHC offers member organisations the opportunity to post news and appeals on its website and redirects journalists towards organisations involved in relief programmes relevant to their editorial needs. As for information on ongoing humanitarian issues, the IHC website is linked with IRIN, the news agency of UN OCHA. Back to top |
||||||||||||||||
| Copyright ihc.ae 2006 . All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map | | |