According to the Declaration, the Leaders of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Asia and the Pacific expressed their concern over the unprecedented humanitarian issues that have arisen in the region since the 2018 Conference (held in the Philippines), including the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of climate change, which have caused devastating consequences at the global level as well as serious health and socio-economic impacts on people. Climate risks are increasing in the community.
The 11th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference was hosted by the Vietnam Red Cross Society in Hanoi from November 20 to 23, 2023. Attending the conference were representatives of the Presidents and General Secretaries of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from more than 60 countries in the region. The conference took place in the context of Vietnam's enhanced position in the region, along with many humanitarian issues, especially climate change, natural disasters and catastrophes.
The Declaration affirms the importance of disaster preparedness through understanding the immediate crisis and being prepared as National Societies and as a Movement in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Statement provided a summary assessment of the Manila (Philippines) Call to Action and noted the importance of investing in youth development in disaster preparedness.
On climate change preparedness, the Asia-Pacific Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders agreed on the need for urgent anticipatory, mitigation and response actions to address climate-related threats and their impacts on communities in the Asia-Pacific region. National Societies should ensure that commitments from the Climate and Environment Charter are integrated into their strategies and action plans, and set clear and ambitious targets to support the greening of communities vulnerable to climate change risks, work with stakeholders and green our institutional activities towards a carbon neutral Asia-Pacific region.
On disaster preparedness, the Hanoi Declaration stresses the importance of increasing awareness of evolving risks, based on risk analysis, climate forecasts and data, and of continuously improving the systems, capacities, staff and volunteers of National Societies to effectively anticipate, prepare for and respond to humanitarian needs, in line with policy and role.
The Declaration also highlights the need for mutual assistance between National Societies to ensure that affected people receive timely and appropriate assistance according to their needs. Coordination of joint preparedness initiatives will also ensure that National Societies are well-positioned to respond to crises.
The Asia-Pacific Regional Leaders of the Red Cross and Red Crescent commit to promote and operate an effective and mutually supportive Movement in the Asia-Pacific region, recognising and respecting the important role of National Societies and leveraging the complementary strengths of the Movement's constituents to achieve the best humanitarian outcomes for their communities.
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