ASEAN and Humanitarian Assistance Context

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ASEAN and Humanitarian Assistance Context
Adelina Kamal, Assistant Director, Disaster
Management, Bureau for Resources Development,
ASEAN Secretariat
ARDEX-08 Camp Management Training Workshop, 25-28
August 2008
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Disaster Management in ASEANimportant milestones

• One of the founding principles for four decades
• A full-fledged ASEAN body i.e. the ACDM was
  created in 2003
• Momentum from the Indian Ocean Tsunami was
  capitalised to formalise regional instrument,
  i.e. AADMER
• The recent Cyclone Nargis provided an
  unprecedented opportunity for shaping ASEANs new
  role in the humanitarian set-up in the region

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ASEAN Committee on Disaster
Management (ACDM)

• Elevation from an expert group to a full-fledged
  committee

Objective of the ACDM Enhance regional
cooperation in all aspects of disaster management
including prevention, mitigation, preparedness,
response and recovery through mutual assistance
activities in order to minimise the adverse
consequences of disasters on the economic and
social development of Member States
2nd Meeting of ACDM, Kuala Lumpur, October 2004
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ASEAN COMMITTEE ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT
National Disaster Management Centre, Ministry of
Home Affairs, Brunei Darussalam
Relief and Resettlement Department, Ministry of
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Myanmar
National Committee for Disaster Management,
Cambodia
National Disaster Coordinating Council,
Philippines
National Coordinating Board for Disaster
Management (BAKORNAS PB), Indonesia
Singapore Civil Defence Force, Ministry of Home
Affairs, Singapore
National Disaster Management Office, Ministry of
Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation,
Ministry of Interior, Thailand
Current Chair
National Security Division, Prime Ministers
Department, Malaysia
Central Committee of Flood and Storm Control,
Viet Nam
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Institutional Framework on DM

• Heads of Government/ State (ASEAN Summit)
• ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management
  (AMMDM)
• ASEAN Standing
• Committee (ASC)
• ASEAN Committee on
• Disaster Management
• (ACDM)
• ASEAN Secretariat

First AMMDM, Cambodia, Dec 04
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Programme Framework
ASEAN REGIONAL PROGRAMME ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(ARPDM) Launched in Bali, Indonesia in May 2004,
ARPDM outlines five regional priorities

• Establishment of ASEAN Regional
• Disaster Management Framework
• Capacity Building
• Sharing of Information and Resources
• Promoting Collaboration and Strengthening
  Partnerships
• Public Education, Awareness and Advocacy

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.The Indian Ocean tsunami exposed ASEAN Member
Countries unpreparedness and weaknesses in
responding to such large scale calamities
collectively. It demonstrated that regional
emergency response could not be deployed rapidly
and effectively not so much because of lack of
resources but more of a lack of a regional system
to identify and mobilise available resources into
an effective response system. Our experience with
the Indian Ocean tsunami, however, also attested
that our region has a large potential in terms of
capacity, assets and commitment (Former
Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Ong Keng Yong)
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AADMER

• ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and
  Emergency Response (AADMER)
• Signed by Foreign Ministers of ASEAN in July 2005
  in Lao PDR
• Ratification underway (3 more to go)
• Objective to provide effective mechanisms to
  reduce disaster losses and to jointly respond to
  disaster emergencies

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Post Nargis Experience

• Utilisation of the spirit and purposes of AADMER,
  and phases and steps in SASOP
• Activation of SASOP functions of AHA Centre
• First-ever experience in mobilising assessment
  team from ASEAN countries
• Unprecedented regional response through the
  establishment of ASEAN-led mechanism
• First time mounting a large assessment exercise,
  mobilising over 350 ps under PONJA
• Regional body playing a significant role in
  international humanitarian arena

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ASEAN-led Coordinating Mechanism
ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force for the Victims of
Cyclone Nargis (Chaired by SG of ASEAN)
Myanmar Central Coordinating Board (CCB)
Advisory Group (UN and invited IOs/ countries)

• Tripartite Core Group (TCG)
• (Yangon-based, chaired by Myanmar)
• Representatives of Govt of Myanmar
• Representatives of ASEAN
• Representatives of UN

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Post-Nargis Experience

• AADMER to continue to serve as the backbone of
  ASEANs cooperation on DRM
• Unprecedented experience available to further
  strengthen regional mechanism
• Experience will likely guide future regional
  response activities
• More conversant and confident ASEAN will play a
  more active role in the regional DRM
• ASEANs assertive role will shape the
  humanitarian constellation in the region

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Camp Management Workshop WHY

• Populous, disaster-prone countries often facing
  displacement of affected population
• Address the issues of protection and meeting the
  basic needs of affected communities
• ARDEX-07 recommended the inclusion of camp
  management/evacuation of displaced people
• 10th ACDM endorsed the proposal to convene the
  camp management workshop
• ASEAN-UNHCR cooperation utilising the core
  competence
• Better planning and strategic interventions in
  evacuation/management of displaced camps

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Thank you