ASEAN Regional Disaster Management Shifts from Passive Response to Proactive Prevention

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management in 2023, Vietnam is promoting the theme of the ACDM Chairmanship Year as “From Response to Early Action and Resilience: ASEAN’s Journey to Global Leadership in Disaster Management”. This theme aims to emphasize the direction in disaster management shifting from passive response to proactive prevention.

*Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep speaks*

2023 is also an important year for the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, marking the 20th anniversary of its establishment. “20 years ago, our predecessors took the first steps to establish the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, which includes the national disaster management offices of all ASEAN member states, to provide strategic direction to enhance disaster management cooperation in the region. Through ACDM’s coordination with international organizations, great achievements and progress have been made,” affirmed the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Accordingly, the 42nd ACDM Conference focused on discussing the following contents: Updating the progress of implementing the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) work program for the period 2021-2025; reviewing the progress of developing and implementing documents, mechanisms and activities on regional cooperation in disaster management such as: ASEAN Regional Strategy on Disaster Management (2023-2024); ASEAN Youth Initiative for a Disaster Resilient Region; ASEAN Disaster Risk Communication Framework; financial regulations of the ASEAN Disaster Management and Emergency Response Fund; preparing for the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Exercise (ARDEX) 2023 in Indonesia...

In addition, on June 14 and 15, a number of related meetings will take place: the 18th AHA Center Board Meeting; the 3rd ASEAN Disaster Resilience Forum (ADRP); meetings between ACDM and regional development partners (China, Japan, South Korea).

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2023 is the year Vietnam assumes the role of Chair in ASEAN cooperation on disaster management, an important cooperation content in the socio-cultural community pillar of ASEAN cooperation. Vietnam has been demonstrating itself as an active and prestigious member of ASEAN, in which ASEAN cooperation on disaster management is an important cooperation content of ASEAN in the socio-cultural community pillar.

Vietnam is one of the countries heavily affected by natural disasters.

In recent years, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam has actively participated in implementing the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) and operating the ASEAN Regional Coordination Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disasters (AHA Center) to respond to major natural disasters in the region, supporting a number of ASEAN countries in responding to natural disasters in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as deploying ASEAN humanitarian assistance in Myanmar under the direction of ASEAN leaders. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the focal agency that has actively participated in regional cooperation activities and mechanisms on disaster management.

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