Vietnam takes proactive lead in ASEAN cooperation on natural disaster management

On October 6 in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (MARD) collaborated with Vietnam Agriculture News organized a press conference on the 11st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) and a series of activities throughout the year that Vietnam takes on the chairmanship of ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management 2023.

Co-hosted the event were Mr. Pham Duc Luan, Director of Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Agriculture News and Ms. Le Ngoc Han, Director of Department of Information and Communication of Quang Ninh Province.

The 11st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management will see the attandance of 8 ministers, 4 deputies minister and over 140 international delegates including leaders, management officials and experts of natural disaster prevention and response of 10 ASEAN members, ASEAN Secreteriat, ASEAN Monitor Center on natural disaster humanitarian aid (AHA center), ASEAN's development partners namely China, South Korea, Japan and some international organizations in the region.

The 11st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management is slated to take place in Ha Long City (Quang Ninh Province) during October 8-13.

With the theme "From Response to early Action and Strengthening Resilience - ASEAN Moves Towards the Goal of Global Leadership in Natural Disaster Management", the series of related workshops and sessions will focus on cooperation between ASEAN nations in the field of natural disaster management.

Speaking at the press conference, Director Pham Duc Luan, Director of the VNDDMA, said that Southeast Asia is considered vulnerable region to climate change and was forecasted to cope with increasing possibilities of natural disaster in both volume and frequencies.

He affirmed that Vietnam has been showing itself to be an active and highly reputable member in ASEAN, of which natural disasters management is a content of ASEAN's cooperation within the "socio-cultural community pillar".

As a rotation of among ASEAN countries, in 2023, Vietnam assumes the position of Chairman of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), the 11th AMMDM, the ACDM annual meetings and other sideline activities.

“This is both important responsibility and opportunity for Vietnam to proactively lead, enhance its position, and demonstrate its role in ASEAN cooperation on natural disaster management in particular and in building the ASEAN community and relationship between ASEAN and its partners in general," according to the official.

In addition, Luan said, assuming the presidency role would also help Vietnam take advantage of experience and resources from partners and the international community for the country's natural disaster prevention and control works and actively contribute to building an ASEAN community with resilience to natural disasters as well as contribute to the common development of the country and the region," he emphasised.

As it has been planned, the 11th AMMDM will adopt the "Ha Long Declaration on Early Action in ASEAN Disaster Management". This is an initiative proposed by Việt Nam as a way to make an impression in the year of implementing the ASEAN Chairmanship in natural disaster management.

The meeting will also ratify the protocol of the 11th AMMDM, protocol of the 42nd and 43rd ACDM annual meetings and other related events.

It will review and evaluate the mid-term report on the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) for the period 2021-2025, contributing to orienting the building of ASEAN vision on disaster management after 2025 and the period 2025-2030.

Events:

October 6: Press conference to introduce the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Natural Disaster Management and related activities.

October 8: A running race in response to ASEAN Natural Disaster Management Day was held at Hon Gai beach, Ha Long City with the participation of 1,000 athletes.

From October 9 to 11: 43rd annual meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), meetings ACDM + China, ACDM + Japan, ACDM + Korea; 19th meeting of the AHA Center Board of Directors; The 4th ASEAN forum on enhancing natural disaster resilience.

October 12: 11th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Management (AMMMM), AMMDM + China, AMMDM + Japan, AMMDM + Korea conferences.

October 13: Event in response to ASEAN Day for Natural Disaster Management and International Day for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction 2023 at Bai Chay Primary and Secondary School (Bai Chay ward, Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province).