(01/04/2013)
"We are not strangers to each
other, as we are all a family. We have the same objectives of becoming
disaster resilient and safer communities," says Mr. Suporn Ratananakin,
speaking on behalf of the Department of Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation of Thailand, currently the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on
Disaster Management (ACDM). This statement was made during the
partnership dialogue between ACDM and civil society representatives held
last week in Bangkok, Thailand.
This dialogue between government and
civil society was part of a process for reaching a common understanding
and ways of working together in support of the implementation of the
ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER).
The process started with consultations with civil society organisations
in the countries, followed by a regional consultation attended by
national and regional civil society representative. "It is crucial that
we successfully take this process forward. Partnership between the ACDM
and civil society upholds the very purpose of the ASEAN Charter, which
is to 'promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society
are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN
integration and community-building.' This means that we are all
together in disaster risk reduction and disaster management," according
to Mr. Ratananakin.
The dialogue was attended by
representatives of the national disaster management offices and civil
society organisations that work both in national and regional in scope,
including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies. The civil society participants to the dialogue represent a
diversity of organisations working with vulnerable groups and
communities in ASEAN, such as those working with women, children, older
persons, persons with disability, and even organisations working for the
protection of animals during emergencies.
During the dialogue, proposed areas of
partnership between ASEAN and civil societies in achieving disaster
resilience were discussed. These areas include disaster risk assessment
and early warning that considers vulnerability information at community
level. Civil society also proposed practical actions to assist ASEAN
Member States in ensuring disaster preparedness, prevention, and
mitigation in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction at various levels;
enhancing safety in schools; and reaching out to citizens of ASEAN to
instill a culture of resilience. Further, when the need for regional
response arises, civil society can offer its resources to efficiently
and effectively assist the affected Member State, and to provide its
expertise in developing recovery tools. Other areas of cooperation are
in training, knowledge sharing, resource mobilisation, and further
strengthening collaborative and consultative mechanisms at the regional
level.
“The proposals coming from civil society
organisations are indeed useful and compliments the initiatives of
ASEAN Member States," according to Lee Yam Ming Lee of the Singapore
Civil Defence Force, who chairs several strategic components and
building blocks under the AADMER Work Programme.
"Once members of the ACDM approve the
proposals, the AHA Centre is ready to work with civil society
organisations to implement activities in the identified key areas,"
according to Mr. Said Faisal, Executive Director of the ASEAN
Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre). The AHA
Centre is the operational engine for the implementation of AADMER.
The CSOs also expressed desire to form
an inclusive regional consultative body that will work hand-in-hand with
the ACDM on the implementation of AADMER, where constructive engagement
between CSOs and ACDM is the key principle. This regional consultative
body will have to be linked with existing national platforms working on
disaster risk reduction in the Member States, as well as other
stakeholders.
“The formation of a regional
consultative body of civil society organisations will complement
existing national platforms on disaster risk reduction," says Dr. Aung
Lin Aye of the Relief and Resettlement Department of the Myanmar
Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
"The ASEAN is a trailblazer in the area
of regional joint emergency response and strengthening disaster risk
reduction mechanisms globally. ASEAN's model of partnerships with civil
society on implementation of the AADMER is another high point worth
learning from by other regional bodies," says Mr. Cherian Matthews,
speaking as Chair of the AADMER Partnership Group, a consortium of
international non-government organisations that has been supporting
ASEAN in the implementation of disk risk reduction.
The AADMER Partnership Group has been
working closely with the ACDM, ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Centre in
implementing AADMER since 2009. The dialogue was organised by the AADMER
Partnership Group in coordination with the ACDM and with the support of
Directorate-General European Commission - Humanitarian Aid & Civil
Protection.
The partnership dialogue was held right
after the ACDM Workshop on AADMER Institutionalisation and Development
of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators held on 25-27 March 2013 in
Bangkok, Thailand. The said workshop was organised by the ASEAN
Secretariat with the support of ASEAN-Australia Cooperation for AADMER
Work Programme.
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