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The Forum is organizing its first Annual Meeting 2008: the Human Face of Climate change.

The Meeting aims at raising awareness for the human face of climate change,
identifying workable solutions and accelerating actions in order to adapt to
climate change.

Under the leadership of Kofi Annan, the Meeting will aim at:

• developing new and creative strategies
• boosting assistance to the world's most vulnerable groups
• fostering creative partnerships for action between actors from different sectors
• targeting media and the general public
• raising awareness on the humanitarian impact of climate change.

History in the making: Outcomes of the meeting will form the basis for the
Forum's ongoing outreach.

About the Forum

The Global Humanitarian Forum was launched on 17 October 2007 by the former UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the Swiss Government. It capitalizes on the wealth of experience and networks of its Foundation Board made up of 25 leaders from wide-ranging backgrounds and different parts of the world, all serving out of their personal capacity. The Forum also draws on the advantage of being located in Geneva, a primary hub for the humanitarian community and home to a unique pool of knowledge on humanitarian issues.

The work of the Forum aspires to build a stronger global community to better meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable. To this end it connects and engages people and organizations who usually do not work side by side encouraging them to forge creative partnerships, think in terms of workable solutions and precipitate action that will bring results. The Forum brings together leading doers, thinkers and decision makers from all sectors of society: business, government, the military, academia, think tanks and the media as well as from intergovernmental, non-governmental and civil society organizations.

A global Forum exclusively focused on the world's broader humanitarian challenges.

Building a stronger global community

Under the personal leadership of Kofi Annan, the Global Humanitarian Forum aims to build a stronger global community for overcoming the humanitarian challenges of today and tomorrow. A new Forum on the international scene, the organization capitalizes on the wealth of experience and networks of both its President and its Foundation Board - itself made up of 24 senior leaders from wide-ranging backgrounds.

Reaching for wider commitment

Humanitarian concerns are increasingly global and cross-cutting in nature. But with the collective resources, expertise and technology available in the twenty-first century, it is unacceptable that humanitarian crises continue to go unresolved. Why is it that we remain unable to mobilize all our assets for the benefit of the world's most vulnerable people?

In the end it is individuals that drive local, regional and global agendas. Most people already want to do more for humanity, but are only able to do so when armed with an accurate understanding of how they can best contribute and how they're potential partners think and operate. And where political and economic commitment is lacking, much can be gained from a critical rethinking of interests in line with the fast-paced globalized world. This is why today dialogue, exchange, and creative partnerships between people not usually working side-by-side are so important. And that is why the Forum brings together - on a global level - leading people from business, government and military, science and technology, the information and communication industries, and the international and civil society fields.

Thinking solutions

When armed conflict breaks out, when famine and disease spread, and when natural disasters strike, it is individual human beings that suffer. Bringing attention to the voices of the poor and vulnerable, the Forum asks leaders from diverse fields the questions that have to be asked. It connects and engages people to think solutions and precipitate action that will bring results for those individuals most in need. Together the world's leading doers, thinkers and decision-makers have the potential to make a great difference. They will be the foundation of a global community able to overcome the humanitarian challenges of today and tomorrow. And the Forum works to realize their potential to do so.