The recue team evacuated people from flooded areas in Capiz, the Philippines. (Photo: XINHUA/VNA)Jakarta (VNA) - The first ASEAN-Republic of Korea Ministerial Meetingon Disaster Management (AMMDM Plus RoK) was held on October 20, under the co-chairof Thai Vice Minister of Interior Nadhapit Snidvongs and ViceMinister of Interior and Safety of the RoK Kim Sung-Ho.
According to the joint statementreleased following the event, both sides affirmed their steadfastrelationship with the common objective to pursue people-centered developmentand protection of people’s lives as top priorities towards achieving asubstantial reduction of disaster losses in lives and enhance disasterresilience of the region through cooperation in disaster management.
The purpose of the AMMDM Plus RoK is to provide guidance andstrategic directions towards policy dialogue, coordination mechanisms andcollaborative programmes to develop mutually beneficial cooperation andpartnerships between ASEAN and the RoK in the field of disaster management.
They committed to intensifying coordination on disastermanagement through maximising their contributions in realisation of the ASEANAgreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), the ASEANDeclaration on One ASEAN, One Response; and other commitments such as the ASEANVision 2025 on Disaster Management and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural CommunityBlueprint 2025.
Thetwo sides agreed to adopt the ASEAN-RoK Work Plan on DisasterManagement 2021-2025 under the strategic directions set by the AADMER WorkProgramme 2021 – 2025, which outlines ASEAN-RoK priorities for cooperation andresource mobilisation for collaborative initiatives in disaster management overthe period of 2021-2025.
They reiterated the commitment to “One ASEAN, One Response:ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region” toachieve faster response, mobilise greater resources and establish strongercoordination to support ASEAN’s collective response to disasters.
The meeting appreciated the RoK’s support for the two ongoingprojects, namely the Disaster Risk Management Capacity Building Program for ASEANMember States (D-CAB) project and ASEAN Standards and Certification for Expertsin Disaster Management (ASCEND) project.
They agreed that the AMMDM Plus RoK would be held on anannual basis, following the chairmanship of the AMMDM in alphabetical order.
As planned, Vietnam will undertake Chairmanship of the AMMDMand co-Chairmanship of the AMMDM Plus RoK in 2023./.
