ASEAN strengthens partnership, innovation for disaster management

The commemoration welcomed the finalisation of key documents that set ASEAN's strategic actions in disaster management in the next five years(Photo: asean.org)

Jakarta - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners have reaffirmed commitments to raise the ASEAN people’s awareness about the importance of disaster risk reduction during the commemoration of ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) 2021.

The ADDM is convened annually and jointly with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on 13 October. This year’s commemoration took place on October 14 via video conference, hosted by Singapore as the current Chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM).

Under the theme “Strengthening Partnership and Innovation for Disaster Management in ASEAN”, ADDM 2021 was commemorated on the sidelines of the 9th AMMDM, which was held on the same day. It was attended by ASEAN Ministers in-charge of disaster management or their representatives, ACDM members, other ASEAN Sectoral bodies and partners.

In his remarks, the AMMDM Chair, Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, noted that “the commemoration demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment and efforts towards disaster reduction and management. This leads to an important end goal – to alleviate the hardship and suffering of peoples of ASEAN, who live in one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world.”

In his closing remarks, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi highlighted the importance of innovation and partnership in disaster management in the years ahead, as well as ASEAN’s commitments towards realising a disaster-resilient region.

The commemoration witnessed the progress made through partnership and innovation, including the start of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2021-2025.

It welcomed the finalisation of key documents that set strategic actions in disaster management in the next five years, including the launch of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Adaptation to Drought 2021-2025; the ASEAN Framework on Protection, Gender and Inclusion 2021-2025; the ASEAN-UN Joint Strategic Plan of Action in Disaster Management (JSPADM) IV 2021-2025; the ASEAN Disaster Resilience Outlook; among others.