SEADMC 2009
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
Disaster Management & Emergency
Response Efforts
2 December 2009
1
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
2
What is the ARF?
• 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 confidencebuilding and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region
3
What is the ARF?
• 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
• http://www.aseanregionalforum.org/
4
Efforts
• 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
5
Efforts
• 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
6
Efforts
• ARF General Guidelines for Disaster Relief
Cooperation
–Developed 31 JUL 2007 by PRC
–Adopted at 14th 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
7
Efforts
• 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
8
Efforts
• 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,
04-07 SEP 2007, Darwin
ARF Desk Top Exercise on the Disaster Relief, 01-02 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
9
Efforts
• 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)
10
Efforts
• ARF Strategic Guidelines (con’t.)
– Characteristics of Disasters
– Disaster Relief
– Coordination and cooperation
– Logistics Support
– Preparedness and Training
– Proposed Standby Arrangements
11
Efforts
• 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 civilmilitary interoperability for major, multinational relief operations
Provide actual care to local populations either affected by a
disaster or in underdeveloped areas
12
Efforts
• Other ARF Efforts
–ARF Inter-Sessional Meetings on Disaster Relief; nine
meetings held so far; last one: 15-18 SEP 2008,
Honolulu
–ARF Seminar on Laws and Regulation on Disaster
Relief Cooperation, 22-25 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)
13
Discussion