The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) shares the present update on its contributions to date towards the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme for the years 2016–2020. The IFRC remains committed to develop a specific plan together with ASEAN to detail its future commitments towards the AADMER Work Programme.
The IFRC has designated a Representative to ASEAN to strengthen its coordination with ASEAN Secretariat and its specialized centers, as well as with the Embassies accredited to and partners cooperating with ASEAN. The Representative is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The contributions follow the 8 priority programmes detailed in the AADMER work programme 2016–2020.
In September 2014, representatives from Southeast Asia Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) National Societies (NS) gathered in Bangkok as part of the Community Safety and Resilience Forum to enhance their integrated approach for community resilience building and strengthen the regional cooperation among and between members. Participants included Department Heads for Disaster Management, Health and Organizational Development as well as a representative from the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) Centre.
During technical discussions, it was agreed that IFRC, RCRC National Societies and the AHA Centre should continue building on the positive collaboration undertaken so far and explore opportunities for further technical cooperation in the form of a ‘joint action plan’.
This plan was discussed at a subsequent technical meeting held on 8 October 2014 at the AHA Centre (Jakarta, Indonesia), where participants agreed to undertake collaborative efforts for the following activities:
The ASEAN Leaders signed the “ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region” at the 28th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane. The declaration is based on the principle of harnessing the individual and collective strengths of different sectors and stakeholders in ASEAN to effectively respond to disasters inside and outside the region.
The declaration confirms that the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) is the main regional policy backbone and common platform for the implementation of One ASEAN, One Response, and that the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) is the primary ASEAN regional coordinating agency on disaster management and emergency response. It also recognises the role of AHA Centre, at a later stage, to enable ASEAN to respond to disasters outside the region.
This document maps out the broad strategic direction that will guide the implementation of ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER)over the next ten years.
The AADMER, which came into force in December 2009, set the foundation for regional cooperation, coordination, technical assistance, and resource mobilisation in all aspects of disaster management and emergency response. The Agreement supports ongoing and planned national initiatives of ASEAN Member States, and with supporting and complementing national capacities and existing work programmes. Since its inception and through various initiatives, ASEAN through AADMER has managed to increase both regional and national capacities for responding to disasters in Southeast Asia.
Overview:
The document discusses:
The further institutionalisation of AADMER is a strategic element that identifies the need for a multi-layered and cross-sectoral governance approach driving the integration of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Political Security Community on disaster management and emergency response. The first section of the document assesses the challenges around institutionalisation and key considerations for the implementation of AADMER.
The second strategic element on financial and resource mobilisation associated with the implementation of AADMER involving ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Secretariat, and the AHA Centre, pinpoints that the strategy needs to combine an increase in ASEAN Member States’ contributions with traditional and non-traditional sources of funding and other modalities of support, while still ensuring that the process and content is driven by ASEAN. The second section of the document focuses on financial and resource mobilisation challenges associated with the implementation of AADMER
The final strategic element focuses on partnerships and priorities innovative ways in which bodies responsible for implementing AADMER can work together with nontraditional partners for disaster management and emergency response. This section highlights the strengths of partnering with entities at regional, national, and local levels in the public, private and people sectors.
Through these three mutually-inclusive strategic elements, this policy document proposes to position ASEAN as a pioneer in transforming disaster management landscape in the Southeast Asian region and beyond, and strengthen its leadership to maintain ASEAN Centrality.
The work programme was launched in the 3rd AADMER Partnership Conference in April 2016, Semarang, Indonesia.
The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency or AADMER has been effectively facilitating regional cooperation between and among ASEAN Member States since its entry into force on 24 December 2009. As the legally-binding regional agreement in ASEAN, AADMER has directly contributed to the building of ASEAN Community, and the enhancement of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation of the
peoples and communities in ASEAN.
In the next ten years, the vision of ASEAN on disaster management looks at three strategic elements:
Institutionalisation and Communications;
Partnership and Innovations;
Finance and Resource Mobilisation.
The AADMER Work Programme 2016-2020 differs from the previous work programme in terms of having a more pronounced articulation of protecting the gains of ASEAN Community integration for the peoples and communities of ASEAN, and showcasing ASEAN’s leadership and experience. It continues to put the premium on the contribution to and ownership of ASEAN Member States of the initiatives embodied in the new work programme; and the significance of engaging multiple sectors and stakeholders while maintaining ASEAN Centrality to ensure policy and programme coherence.
Overview:
The 8 Priority Programmes, with the specific objectives and outputs outlined in this work plan, are:
AWARE: Risk aware ASEAN Community
BUILD SAFELY: Building safe ASEAN infrastructures and essential services
ADVANCE: A Disaster resilient and climate adaptive ASEAN community
PROTECT: Protecting economic and social gains of ASEAN community integration through risk transfer and social protection
RESPOND AS ONE: Transforming mechanisms for ASEAN’s leadership in response
EQUIP: Enhanced capacities for one ASEAN one response
RECOVERY: ASEAN resilience recovery
LEAD: ASEAN Leadership for Excellence and Innovation in Disaster Management
The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) is a regional framework for cooperation, coordination, technical assistance, and resource mobilisation in all aspects of disaster management. AADMER provides the guidelines for effective mechanisms to achieve substantial reduction of disaster losses in lives and in the social, economic, and environmental assets, and to jointly respond to disaster emergencies through concerted national efforts and intensified regional and international cooperation.
AADMER affirms ASEAN’s commitment to the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) and is the first legally-binding HFA related instrument in the world. It serves as the foundation for disaster management initiatives in the region, including for the establishment of AHA Centre. Signed by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN in Vientiane, Lao PDR in July 2005, the Agreement has been ratified by all ten Member States and entered into force on 24 December 2009. A work programme for the period of 2010 – 2015 has been developed and its progress has been monitored.
Overview:
AADMER covers State Parties’ rights and obligations in:
Disaster risk identification, assessment and monitoring
Disaster prevention and mitigation
Disaster preparedness
Emergency response
Rehabilitation
Technical cooperation and scientific research
ASEAN coordinating centre for humanitarian assistance (AHA Centre)
Institutional arrangements and procedures
Usage: Policy development
Audience: National Society leadership, Technical staff, Communication staff
