1 SEADMC 2009 ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Disaster Management & Emergency Response Efforts 2 December 2009

2 Agenda What is the ARF? ARF Statement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response ARF General Guidelines for Disaster Relief Cooperation ARF Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Strategic Guidelines ARF Voluntary Demonstration of Response Other Efforts

3 Establishment: –Twenty-Sixth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post Ministerial Conference (Singapore, July 1993) agreed to establish the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). –Inaugural meeting (Bangkok, 25 July 1994) Objectives: –Foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern; and –make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence- building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region What is the ARF?

4 The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is… –10 ASEAN nations (Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), –17 additional nations (Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, United States) and the European Union What is the ARF?

5 ARF Statement on Disaster Management & Emergency Response –Adopted at 12th ASEAN Regional Forum, 28 JUL 2006, Kuala Lumpur (approximately one year after ASEAN’s AADMER) –Guidelines (voluntary) on ARF efforts in DM/ER –Closely mirrors AADMER in concept but lacks mandate for coordination of actions Efforts

6 ARF Statement on Disaster Management & Emergency Response (con’t.) –Enhance cooperation that support and complement existing regional and international disaster management and emergency response mechanisms  Risk Identification and Monitoring  Disaster Prevention and Preparedness  Emergency Response and Disaster Relief  Capacity Building Efforts

7 ARF General Guidelines for Disaster Relief Cooperation –Developed 31 JUL 2007 by PRC –Adopted at 14 th ARF Ministerial Meeting, 02 AUG 2007, Manila –Focus:  Establish a basic framework for disaster relief cooperation among ASEAN Regional Forum participating countries, to promote more effective cooperation, and to reduce the losses due to frequent disasters Efforts

8 ARF General Guidelines for Disaster Relief Cooperation (con’t.) –Basic Principles:  Mutual Assistance on Equal Footing  Respect for Receiving Country ’ s Decision  Decision by Mutual Agreement  Enhancing Coordination –General guidance on Launching, Managing and Costs Efforts

9 ARF Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Strategic Guidelines –Commenced as effort to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for DR as called for by ARF Statement on DM&ER –Concept developed and tested  ARF Desk Top Exercise on the Disaster Relief Planning Conference, SEP 2007, Darwin  ARF Desk Top Exercise on the Disaster Relief, May 2008, Jakarta –Shift from SOPs to “Strategic Guidelines” –Purpose: promote a common understanding among ARF members of civil-military cooperation and coordination procedures so as to improve interoperability and cooperation between ARF members, and so reduce their response time in disaster relief Efforts

10 ARF Strategic Guidelines (con’t.) –Provide high level guidance for military-military and civil-military cooperation in preparing and undertaking HADR activities –Focus on emergency response activity (not intended to apply to rehabilitation and reconstruction) –Compliment existing guidelines:  ARF General Guidelines for Disaster Relief Cooperation  ASEAN Standard Operating Procedures for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of  ASEAN Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP) Efforts

11 ARF Strategic Guidelines (con’t.) –Characteristics of Disasters –Disaster Relief –Coordination and cooperation –Logistics Support –Preparedness and Training –Proposed Standby Arrangements Efforts

12 ARF Voluntary Demonstration of Response (ARF VDR) –04-08 May 2009, Republic of the Philippines –Objectives:  Provide a major deliverable for strengthening ARF  Highlight military cooperation in Southeast Asia  Build regional humanitarian assistance capacity and civil- military interoperability for major, multinational relief operations  Provide actual care to local populations either affected by a disaster or in underdeveloped areas Efforts

13 Other ARF Efforts –ARF Inter-Sessional Meetings on Disaster Relief; nine meetings held so far; last one: SEP 2008, Honolulu –ARF Seminar on Laws and Regulation on Disaster Relief Cooperation, APR 2009, Beijing –Future:  ARF Standby Arrangements?  ARF Coordination Centre?  Military and Civil Defense Model Agreement (in development)  ARF Disaster Relief Work Plan (in work) Efforts

Discussion