ASEAN Braces Its Disaster Management

and Emergency Response Mechanisms

Recent natural calamities that struck almost simultaneously five ASEAN Member States stirred the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to beef up its mechanisms on disaster management and emergency response. The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, who is also the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator, visited affected areas in Indonesia, specifically in West Sumatra, which has two cities hit by a recent earthquake. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Political-Security Community, Mr. Sayakane Sisouvong, conducted visits to the Philippines and Viet Nam, two ASEAN Member States that were ravaged by the onslaught of Tropical Storm Ketsana. ASEAN envoys were also dispatched to two other Member States that fell victim to the brunt of the storm, namely Cambodia and Lao PDR.

In West Sumatra, Dr. Surin was pleased with the humanitarian assistance being extended to the Government of Indonesia by the international response teams from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, aside from those sent by the United Nations. Surin met with Vice President-elect Boedino and Governor Gamawan Fauzi and conveyed through them ASEAN’s deepest condolences to the affected populations, and solidarity during these most inopportune times. Surin was also briefed by the authorities of the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency on the latest rescue and relief developments extended to the affected areas of Padang and Pariaman. He likewise observed that Indonesian authorities were guided by the Indonesian Disaster Management Law in securing and expediting international assistance to the devastated sections of the populace.

In light of responding to crisis situations that threaten the safety and security of lives and properties in the region, plans of enhancing ASEAN’s disaster-preparedness capabilities have been further collaborated with the United Nations in informal talks held last October 2009 between the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, and the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), Dr. Noeleen Heyzer. At the request of Dr. Surin, the meeting was hosted by Dr. Hyzer at the UN Secretariat Building in Bangkok, with representatives from other UN regional offices based in Bangkok, the ASEAN Secretariat and the Coordinating Office of the ASEAN Humanitarian Task for Cyclone Nargis in attendance.

Dr. Surin stated that “ASEAN needs to have a stronger role in responding to natural disasters within the region”. Enforcement of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) by the end of this year will heighten the expectations of the ASEAN Member States on the adoption and implementation of workable, efficient and reliable systems geared towards addressing and mitigating emergency situations. Dr. Heyzer meanwhile expressed that “the partnership should capitalize from the strengths of the two organizations”. Both sides emphasized the urgency of devising mechanisms that are “comfortable and inter-operable for both ASEAN and UN”. It was also decided that a working group will be organized to work on the drafting and endorsement of an operational framework to jumpstart and guide conduct of the enhanced partnership mechanism.

It may be recalled that the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), composed of heads of national agencies responsible for disaster management of ASEAN Member States, was formally organized in early 2003. In response to its mandate, the ACDM has designed an ASEAN Regional Programme on Disaster Management (ARPDM) to provide an institutional framework for cooperation for the period 2004-2010.

The ARPDM serves as a guide in managing disaster situations and identifying priority areas and activities for the reduction of the impact of calamities in the region. It is also being referred to during calls of cooperation and collaboration with ASEAN Dialogue Partners and allied international organizations that include the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the Pacific Disaster Center, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, IFRC, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), among others.