REPORT OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE ASEAN COMMITTEE ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT 27 January 2006, Jakarta INTRODUCTION 1. The 6th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) was held on 27 January 2006 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Prior to this Meeting a Regional Workshop on Standby Arrangements and Standard Operating Procedures (Emergency Relief Component) was held on 25-26 January 2006 at the same venue. 2. H.E. Mr. Peou Samy, the outgoing Chairman of the ACDM and SecretaryGeneral of the National Committee for Disaster Management, Cambodia gave his opening remarks and handed over the chairmanship to Indonesia, in accordance with the ACDM Terms of Reference. 3. The Meeting had a one minute of silence observance for the late Col. Elma C. Aldea, the previous ACDM focal point from the Philippines. The Meeting also thanked the previous ACDM focal points from Malaysia and Thailand, Dato’ Muhamad bin Muda and Mr. Soonthorn Riwleung for their contribution to ACDM and welcomed the new focal points, Mr. Che Moin bin Umar and Mr. Anucha Mokkhavesa, respectively. 4. The Meeting was chaired by Mr. Tabrani, Deputy for Disaster Management, Bakornas PBP, Indonesia. The Meeting was attended by delegates from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from the New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID), Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC), and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) attended the open sessions of the Meeting. The List of Delegates and Representatives appears in ANNEX 1. Agenda Item 1: ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN 5. The Meeting elected Mr. Phetsavang Sounnalath, Director, National Disaster Management Office, Lao PDR as the Vice Chairman of the Meeting. Agenda Item 2: 6. ADOPTION OF AGENDA The Meeting adopted the Agenda, which appears in ANNEX 2. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 1 Agenda Item 3: 7. BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS The Meeting was held in plenary. Agenda Item 4: PROGRESS REPORT OF ACDM OUTGOING CHAIRMAN 8. H.E. Mr. Peou Samy as the outgoing Chairman of the ACDM presented his progress report outlining major activities during his chairmanship in 2005, as in ANNEX 3. 9. The Meeting noted various major achievements of the ACDM, in particular the signing of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (ASEAN ADMER) in July 2005, the conduct of the first regional disaster emergency response simulation exercise in September 2005 (ARDEX-05), the progress on the drafting of the regional standby arrangements and standard operating procedures (SASOP), and the implementation the ASEAN Regional Programme on Disaster Management (ARPDM). The Meeting expressed its sincere appreciation to the outgoing Chairman for his significant contributions to the ACDM and his able leadership. The ASEAN Secretariat also expressed its appreciation for his excellent support and guidance in servicing the ACDM. Agenda Item 5: RELEVANT DECISIONS OF ASEAN MEETINGS 10. The Meeting noted the ASEAN Secretariat Information Paper on Relevant Decisions of ASEAN Meetings as in ANNEX 4. 11. The Meeting noted that at the 38th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), Indonesia expressed its interest to host the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) in Jakarta, and that the 38th AMM tasked the ASEAN Standing Committee to look into the offer and settle this issue as soon as possible. In this regard, the Meeting noted that Indonesia will initiate a study on the establishment of the AHA Centre. The Meeting also noted that one of the activities under the current phase of the ASEAN-UNHCR project include the conduct of a preliminary study on the AHA Centre. The Meeting noted that Indonesia will discuss details of the study with the ASEAN Secretariat. 12. The Meeting noted that at the 38th AMM Thailand presented a sample list of available assets and capacities (ANNEX 5) that will constitute the regional standby arrangements. The 38th AMM suggested that all ASEAN Member Countries (AMCs) prepare their respective lists and that the regional standby arrangements should interact with other regional arrangements as well as international arrangements under the UN framework. The Meeting also noted that the Philippines had provided the completed list to the ASEAN Secretariat as in ANNEX 6. The Meeting agreed to establish the regional standby arrangements as soon as possible. The Meeting requested the ASEAN Secretariat to look into the two lists provided by Thailand and Philippines, and come up with a common format taking into account comments and inputs from the SASOP workshop, including 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 2 information on relief organisations for the regional standby arrangements. The Meeting agreed that the completed lists from all AMCs should be ready before the next AMM in July 2006. 13. The Meeting noted Thailand’s information that a national committee had been established in Thailand to work on the list of Thailand’s available assets and capacities for the regional standby arrangements, and to oversee the implementation of ASEAN ADMER at the national level. Agenda Item 6: REVIEW OF ARPDM IMPLEMENTATION 14. The Meeting noted the ASEAN Secretariat Information Paper on the Review of ARPDM Implementation as in ANNEX 7. i. Component 1 (Establishment of ASEAN Regional Disaster Management Framework), Sub-component 1.1: Establishment of the ASEAN Response Action Plan (Malaysia) 15. The Meeting noted that there were significant achievements in this subcomponent, including the signing of the ASEAN ADMER in July 2005, the drafting of the SASOP, and the conduct of ARDEX-05. Malaysia as the lead shepherd country stressed the need to expedite the ratification of the ASEAN ADMER to provide effect to these activities. ii. Component 2 (Capacity Building), Sub-component 2.2d: Refresher Courses/ Expertise Development (Indonesia) 16. The Meeting noted that there was no significant development in this subcomponent. The Meeting noted that Indonesia as the lead shepherd country, assisted by Singapore, will look into this sub-component and come up with substantive activities in 2006. iii. Component 3 (ASEAN Disaster Information Sharing and Communication Network), Sub-components 3.1a and 3.1c: Development of ACDM Website and NDMO Websites; and Publication of ASEAN Disaster Management Information Network (ADMIN) Newsletter (Philippines) 17. The Meeting noted the substantial developments in this sub-component, under the leadership of the Philippines and with the support of the PDC. These include the development of the ACDM website, the link-up between the ACDM website and the NDMOs, and the AMCs’ information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure assessment to determine, among others, the minimum investment required for regional interconnectivity on disaster management. The Meeting also noted that the final report of the assessment had been published. The Meeting further noted that a Technical Advisory SubCommittee comprising Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, ASEAN Secretariat and PDC had been established to guide the development of the datasets, tools and 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 3 management procedures for the Online Southeast Asia Disaster Inventory (OSADI). This matter was further discussed under Agenda Item 10.b. iv. Component 4 (Promoting Collaboration and Strengthening Partnership), Sub-components 4.2 and 4.3: Partnership with Relevant Organisations and NGOs; and Mobilising Financial Support and Resources (ACDM Chairman) 18. The Meeting noted that the ACDM continued to promote collaboration and strengthen partnership through the ARPDM, notably participation of the ACDM Chairman, ACDM members and the ASEAN Secretariat in various international events to promote the ACDM and identify opportunities for synergy and partnership; one-on-one consultations with UN regional offices and other partners to follow-up their commitments and explore partnership. The Meeting agreed that each ACDM focal point should also continue to promote ACDM activities and promote regional priorities in events and global disaster management discourses they are participating. v. Component 5 (Public Education, Awareness and Advocacy), Subcomponents 5.1 and 5.3: ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (Thailand); and Enhancing Disaster Management Public Education and Awareness Programme (Lao PDR) 19. The Meeting noted that AMCs undertook various activities to celebrate the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) in 2005. This matter was further discussed under Agenda Item 9. 20. The Meeting also noted that there was no significant development in this sub-component. The ASEAN Secretariat presented a proposal to move forward on the implementation of this sub-component under Agenda Item 10.a. Agenda Item 7: 7.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASEAN AGREEMENT ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (ASEAN ADMER) RATIFICATION 21. The Meeting noted the progress of ratification of the ASEAN ADMER by the AMCs as follows: Brunei Darussalam: need to follow-up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the status of ratification. Cambodia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the National Committee for Disaster Management to translate the ASEAN ADMER into their national language. Subsequently, the document will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for consideration during an Inter Ministerial Meeting. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 4 Indonesia: In the process of translating the document into their national language; will need to obtain Parliament approval for ratification. Lao PDR: was informed that since the Agreement had already received approval from the National Assembly for the signing of the Agreement, a separate process for ratification may not be required. However, confirmation of this procedure and issuance of the instrument of ratification will be sought from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Malaysia: the matter had been circulated to relevant national agencies for comments, planned to be submitted for consideration by the Cabinet in May 2006. Myanmar: in the process of ratifying the Agreement and will follow-up with their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Philippines: will be tabled for Executive’s approval as part of the implementation of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and therefore may not require Senate/Congress approval. Singapore: expects to ratify the Agreement in the near future. Thailand: deposited their instrumentation of ratification on 19 December 2005 and had established a dedicated national committee to oversee the implementation of the Agreement at the national level. 22. The Meeting noted that the processes undertaken by AMCs in ratifying the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution could be used as reference to ensure early ratification of the ASEAN ADMER. The Meeting agreed that each ACDM focal point would liaise with its respective Ministry of Foreign Affairs to expedite and follow through the ratification process as the Agreement will only enter info force on the receipt of instrument of ratification from all Member Countries. 7.2 STANDBY ARRANGEMENTS AND SOP (SASOP) 23. As a follow-up to the SASOP workshop held on 25-26 January 2006, the Meeting noted that the ASEAN Secretariat would incorporate the inputs and comments gathered from the discussions to further develop the draft SASOP. The Meeting recognised that the regional SASOP will only address cross-border coordination among AMCs through the National Focal Points, and that national SOPs/operational manuals/guidelines as appropriate need to be strengthened or developed to ensure effective national coordination to respond speedily through the regional SASOP. 24. In this respect, the Meeting noted the following information on existing guidelines/SOPs/operational manuals in respective AMCs: Brunei Darussalam: national command and control procedures are in place; in the process of establishing a national committee on disaster management. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 5 Cambodia: the National Committee on Disaster Management has been working closely with the SAR Unit and the Civil Aviation in developing the national SOP, will fine-tune the national SOP with the regional SASOP once it is finalised. Indonesia: BAKORNAS PBP had conducted a number of workshops on national SOP following the SASOP workshop in Yangon, June 2005, and will be organising a workshop in July 2006 to harmonise SOPs within the country. Lao PDR: had come up with guidelines on relief and rescue, and will consider the development of the guidelines into national SOP. Malaysia: various SOPs for various types of disasters are in place; will develop the SOP for regional emergency response (SASOP). Myanmar: will harmonise the existing national SOP with the regional SASOP. Philippines: an operation manual is available, but is currently being revised to align it with ASEAN ADMER. Singapore: National plan is in place to handle disasters. SOP for the despatch of USAR team for overseas mission is available. Both will be adjusted to align with the regional SASOP. Thailand: National SOP is available but it is for internal use by the Thailand government; will align it with the regional SASOP, as appropriate. 25. The Meeting recognised the usefulness of sharing information on these procedures among Member Countries and to provide such information, as appropriate. Agenda Item 8: 8.1 REGIONAL ACTIVITY REPORTS REPORTS BY RELEVANT HOST/ LEAD COUNTRIES 26. The following AMCs provided reports on ACDM-initiated activities or other relevant activities hosted or participated by them: Cambodia i. Draft Proposal for ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise 2006 (ARDEX-06), September 2006 27. The Meeting noted Cambodia’s proposal for the conduct of the ASEAN regional disaster emergency response simulation exercise in September 2006 in Cambodia (ARDEX-06). Cambodia’s information paper is in ANNEX 8. 28. The Meeting agreed to pursue the conduct of ARDEX-06 in September 2006 in Cambodia as scheduled. The Meeting recognised Cambodia’s financial constraints on hosting the exercise.. The Meeting noted that based on ARDEX-05, 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 6 the general understanding is that the host government will bear local logistic expenses, participating countries/organisations to bear the cost of their relief personnel and equipment, while sponsorship will be sought for regional activities such as meetings/workshops during the exercise. The Meeting requested Cambodia to come up with a budget proposal for the exercise and for the two planning meetings. The Meeting noted that ASEAN Secretariat would attempt to secure the funds for the conduct of the regional workshop and evaluation meeting to be held back-to-back with the exercise. The Meeting noted ASEAN Secretariat’s suggestion that the regional exercise should preferably ride on Cambodia’s national exercise to test the country’s own emergency relief capacities and to absorb the local costs for organising the exercise. The Meeting urged all relevant international organisations to support the exercise in order to test their own response mechanisms. 29. The Meeting agreed to invite the media to provide wide coverage for ARDEX-06, as in the case of ARDEX-05. Indonesia ii. ASEAN-UN Seminar on Humanitarian Assistance and Rapid Response Capacity, 26-27 October 2005, Bandung, Indonesia 30. The Meeting noted the outcome of the ASEAN-UN Seminar on Humanitarian Assistance and Rapid Response Capacity held 26-27 October 2005 in Bandung, Indonesia, particularly the suggestion to use the ASEAN ADMER as the primary platform for ASEAN-UN cooperation on disaster management; the recommendation to develop a paper on ASEAN-UN strategic partnership; and the plan to organise an ASEAN-UN Seminar on Regional Standby Arrangements for Disaster Relief and Emergency Response. The information paper appears in ANNEX 9. 31. With regard to the recommendation to organise the ASEAN-UN Seminar on Regional Standby Arrangements for Disaster Relief and Emergency Response, the Meeting was of the view that it would be best to develop ASEAN’s own regional standby arrangements first before exploring how to establish linkages with the INSARAG and international arrangements under the UN. iii. 5th ARF Inter-sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief (ISDM DR), 30 November-2 December 2005, Bandung, Indonesia 32. The Meeting noted the outcome of the 5th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief (ISDM DR) held on 30 November-2 December 2005 in Bandung, Indonesia, particularly the suggestion to develop an ARF regional standby arrangement; decision that China and Indonesia would develop the ARF Guidelines on Regional Cooperation on Disaster Relief, taking into account the ASEAN ADMER and other available arrangements and frameworks; and the interest of some ARF members from outside ASEAN to participate in ARDEX-06 as observers. The information paper appears in ANNEX 10. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 7 33. The Meeting noted that the ARF also involves other countries outside ASEAN (total 25 countries including ASEAN countries); and that the delegations are primarily from military organisations. The Meeting considered the need to build linkages with the ARF to promote civil-military cooperation in disaster relief. 34. The Meeting agreed that each ACDM focal point should continue to promote, propagate and disseminate the ASEAN ADMER in relevant fora and meetings where needs for standards and guidelines are articulated. Malaysia iv. Report from the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise 2005 (ARDEX-05), 19-20 September 2005, Selangor, Malaysia 35. The Meeting noted the outcome of ARDEX-05, which was held on 19-20 September 2005 in Selangor, Malaysia. Malaysia’s information paper appears in ANNEX 11. The Meeting thanked Malaysia for hosting and organising ARDEX-05. Myanmar v. Report from the ASEAN Regional Workshop on Standby Arrangements and Standard Operating Procedures, 28-29 June 2005, Yangon, Myanmar 36. The Meeting noted the outcome of the ASEAN Regional Workshop on Standby Arrangements and Standard Operating Procedures, which was held on 28-29 June 2005 in Yangon, Myanmar. The presentation and the Chairman’s Summary appear in ANNEX 12. Philippines vi. Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction, 27-29 September 2005, Beijing, China 37. The Meeting noted the outcome of the Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction (27-29 September 2005, Beijing, China) as presented by the Philippines. Philippines’ information paper appears in ANNEX 13. vii. ARF Forum on Humanitarian Assistance as a CMO Tool in Fostering Regional Cooperation for Peace and Security, 12-13 September 2005, Makati City, the Philippines 38. The Meeting noted the outcome of the ARF Forum on Humanitarian Assistance as Civil Military Operation (CMO) Tool in Fostering Assistance, which was held on 12-13 September 2005 in Makati City, the Philippines. The Meeting also noted the Forum’s suggestion to recognise the importance of the ASEAN ADMER, ASEAN DISCNet Project and the AHA Centre; and to strengthen their potential in capacity building and coordinating regional disaster relief and 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 8 rehabilitation efforts that affect ASEAN and its ARF partners. Philippines’ information paper appears in ANNEX 14. Viet Nam viii. ASEAN-US Cooperation on Disaster Management Basic/ Intermediate Incident Command System Training and Adaptation Workshop, 3-5 April 2005, Hanoi, Viet Nam 39. The Meeting noted the outcome of ASEAN-US Cooperation on Disaster Management Basic/ Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS) Training and Adaptation Workshop held on 3-5 April 2005 in Hanoi, Viet Nam, as presented by the ASEAN Secretariat on behalf of Viet Nam. The Meeting also noted that the ICS Task Force had been fully composed and is scheduled to meet in the first quarter of 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. The date and venue for the meeting will be confirmed by the ASEAN Secretariat in consultation with Thailand and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The information paper appears in ANNEX 15. 8.2 REPORTS BY ASEAN SECRETARIAT i. INSARAG Asia/Pacific Regional Group Meeting, 12-13 September 2005, New Delhi, India 40. The Meeting noted the outcome of the INSARAG Asia/Pacific Regional Group Meeting, which was held on 12-13 September 2005 in New Delhi, India. The Meeting also noted the recommendation for the ACDM to participate in a special session involving regional organisations at the next INSARAG meeting in Australia in 2006, and the suggestion that the ACDM discuss with the Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) regarding the ADRC-proposed framework on Total Disaster Risk Management (TDRM). The Meeting further noted that the ASEAN Secretariat would coordinate with the ACDM Chairman to follow-up the above recommendations. The information paper appears in ANNEX 16. ii. Planning Meeting for the Joint Meeting of the Four Committees, 11 October 2005, Thailand 41. The Meeting noted the outcome of the Planning Meeting for the Joint Meeting of the Four Committees (i.e. the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment-Haze Technical Task Force (ASOEN-HTTF), the Typhoon Committee, and the Mekong River Commission), which was held on 11 October 2005 in Thailand, and that the Joint Meeting of the Four Committees will be held on 16-17 February 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. The information paper appears in ANNEX 17. 42. The Meeting noted that five ACDM representatives will be invited to participate in the Meeting, and agreed on the following composition: 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 9 Cambodia as the Outgoing Chairman and lead shepherd country for subcomponent 1.4.c (Dissemination of flood early warning); Indonesia as the Chairman; Lao PDR as the Incoming Chairman; Philippines as Lead shepherd country for sub-components 1.4.a (Earthquake vulnerability reduction), 1.4.e (Typhoon and cyclone preparedness and mitigation) and 4.1 (CBDRM); Thailand as Lead shepherd country for sub-component 1.4.b (Flash flood, landslide, sea/ river erosion, preparedness and mitigation). 43. The Meeting noted that the ASEAN Secretariat will inform the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) as the organiser of the meeting of the above composition. iii. ASEAN Inter-sectoral Forum for Information Sharing on Pandemic Hazards, Video-conference, 28 November 2005 44. The Meeting noted the outcome of the Inter-sectoral Forum for Information Sharing on Pandemic Hazards conducted through video-conference (VC) on 28 November 2005. The Meeting noted that the VC was very useful in terms of exchanging information and updates among the different sectors and countries on avian flu, and was supportive of using VC as a mechanism to exchange information and discuss follow-up actions on pertinent issues such as pandemic preparedness. The Meeting also noted that the ASEAN Secretariat is currently formulating a proposal to mount a series of activities to come up with a regional, multi-sectoral action plan to coordinate efforts in strengthening pandemic preparedness at national and regional level. The information paper appears in ANNEX 18. 45. The Meeting noted that Lao PDR had given due attention to addressing the avian flu and that a special committee comprising high-level officials of various agencies had been established to work on this issue more intensively. 46. The Meeting noted Cambodia’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture had come up with their respective strategies and action plans, and that the National Committee for Disaster Management had been put in charge to handle pandemic preparedness and planning. 47. The Meeting noted the presentation by the ASEAN Foundation on the organisation’s profile, mandate and activities. The Meeting also noted the Foundation’s interest to support the ACDM particularly in capacity building, information sharing, and public awareness and education. The Meeting further noted the Foundation’s current interest in addressing the avian flu and that it is supporting the ASEAN Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Task Force in public awareness and communication. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 10 Agenda Item 9: ASEAN DAY FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT 48. The Meeting noted the ASEAN Secretariat Information Paper on the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM), which reported AMCs’ activities in celebrating the ADDM in conjunction with the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) in 2005. The Meeting also noted various activities conducted by Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in commemorating the first anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, and that Malaysia and Thailand had announced 26 December as the “National Disaster Awareness Day” and “National Disaster Prevention Day”, respectively. The information paper appears in ANNEX 19. The Meeting exchanged views on aligning the ADDM with 26 December in commemoration of the 2004 tsunami. The Meeting requested the ASEAN Secretariat to follow-up on this proposal in consultation with AMCs. 49. The Meeting noted the information from the UN ISDR on the theme for the 2006 IDDR, which is “Disaster Reduction Starts at School”. She suggested that IDDR activities could focus on community level with schools as the centres of the community activities, such as drawing or poster contest for children, art competition, etc. Other possible activities may include roundtable discussion involving the Ministry of Education on integrating disaster risk reduction into the school curricula. She also mentioned that UN ISDR in cooperation with UNICEF had developed a prototype game board for children and invited AMCs to use the prototype and translate it into local languages. The Meeting also noted that UN ISDR plans to produce an information kit for 2006 IDDR and will welcome inputs from AMCs through the ASEAN Secretariat. 50. The Meeting noted that Thailand, with the assistance from the Government of Japan, has conducted a number of activities to incorporate disaster risk reduction into school curricula. The Meeting also noted additional information from Thailand regarding an article published in The Nations newspaper on “Thailand and Post-Tsunami Disaster Management in the Region”, as in ANNEX 20. Agenda Item 10: UPDATES ON ACDM COLLABORATIONS 10.a. Strengthening Community Awareness and Disasters in Coastal Zones of Southeast Asia Resilience to 51. The Meeting endorsed the concept proposal on “Strengthening Community Awareness and Resilience to Disasters in Coastal Zones of Southeast Asia”, which appears in ANNEX 21. The Meeting noted that the 3-year project seeks to develop a regional model based on good practices and lessons learned on public awareness on disaster risk reduction among coastal communities of AMCs, and in this regard, would include pilot activities involving a number of coastal communities in AMCs. The Meeting agreed that countries to be involved in the pilot activities should be those with significant exposure to coastal-related disasters and have potential coastal communities to participate in the project. Member Countries agreed to assist in identifying their needs and to provide the relevant information to 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 11 the ASEAN Secretariat. The Meeting requested the ASEAN Secretariat to further refine the proposal, in consultation with AMCs. 10.b. Updates on ACDM Collaborations 52. The Meeting noted the summary of ASEAN Secretariat’s Updates on ACDM Collaboration with various partner agencies, as in ANNEX 22. ASEAN DISCNet Project 53. The Meeting noted the joint presentation by the Philippines and the PDC on the progress of the ASEAN DISCNet project as in ANNEX 23. 54. The Meeting noted that the ACDM website had been developed and linkages between the ACDM website and those of the NDMOs had also been established (Task 1). The Meeting noted that the Technical Advisory Subcommittee is currently reviewing the website to upgrade and further improve the website. 55. The Meeting officially launched the Report of the Information and Communication Technology Assessment for the ASEAN DISCNet (Task 2). The Meeting agreed that the report should be used by relevant AMCs to strengthen their ICT infrastructure for disaster management. The report could also serve as guidance for partner organisations and donor agencies to contribute to the ASEAN DISCNet and help narrow the ICT gap for disaster management in the region. In this regard, the Philippines, PDC and the ASEAN Secretariat would present the report to potential partner organisations and donor agencies to explore contribution and support to the ASEAN DISCNet. 56. The Meeting also noted the outcomes of the Technical Advisory Subcommittee Meeting held on 21 October 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand and the draft guidelines for the development of the Online Southeast Asia Disaster Inventory (OSADI) developed by Singapore, as in ANNEX 24. In this regard, the Meeting agreed to move ahead with Task 3, i.e. the development of OSADI. The Meeting noted that the Technical Advisory Subcommittee had come up a simple Excel worksheet (ANNEX 25) to be used as the tool for the first phase of data collation. The Meeting noted that following submission of technical instruction to fill up the worksheet, each ACDM member would provide the historical record of hazards as far back as possible to the Philippines according the proposed schedule as follows: - Month 1 – 6: Group A (typhoon, flood and haze) Month 7 – 12: Group B (earthquake and tsunami) Month 13 – 18: Group C (epidemic, landslide, volcano, drought and fire (structural) 57. The Meeting noted that Task 4 would involve development of a GIS Portal and Initial Early Warning System and that this could be initiated with the provision of available GIS database by AMCs to the Philippines. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 12 ACDM-UNJLC Collaboration 58. The Meeting noted the updates from UNJLC that following the ASEANUNJLC Workshop in Malaysia in September 2005, the proposed areas of collaboration between ACDM and UNJLC had been submitted to the UNJLC Headquarters. The Meeting also noted that a formal request from ASEAN, along with detailed project proposals, is required. The Meeting requested the ASEAN Secretariat to follow-up with UNJLC on the development of the detailed proposals. ACDM-UN ISDR Collaboration 59. The Meeting noted the presentation by UN ISDR on the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA), including tools to facilitate the implementation of HFA at national and community levels. The Meeting also noted the proposed areas of cooperation with the ACDM and AMCs, which include HFA implementation, development of Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP), awareness-raising and education on disaster risk reduction, and Tsunami Early Warning System (TEWS). The presentation and information paper appear in ANNEX 26. The Meeting agreed on the need for ISDR initiatives to build upon the substantial work already done and underway, including the various needs identified. ASEAN-UNCHR Project on Response Capacity of ACDM Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and 60. The Meeting noted that the current phase of the project will continue until the end of December 2006 and expressed its appreciation to the UNHCR for its continued support. The Meeting also noted the major activities in 2006, namely further development of the SASOP; initial study on the AHA Centre; and support for a contingency planning workshop back to back with ARDEX-06. ACDM-OCHA 61. The Meeting welcomed the offer by OCHA to continue its support to the ACDM as follows: i. ii. iii. iv. v. Support and participation in ARDEX-06; Conduct of the initial study on the AHA Centre, together with UNHCR; Support for the side-meeting of regional organisations during the 2006 INSARAG; Deploying UNDAC mission to assess emergency preparedness of AMCs; Participation in the ASEAN-UN Strategic Partnership Meeting. The Meeting thanked OCHA for its continued support to ACDM and welcomed OCHA’s participation and inputs in the above activities. 6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 13 Agenda Item 11: ACDM CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2006 62. The Meeting noted the ACDM Calendar of Events for 2006, which appears in ANNEX 27. Agenda Item 12: OTHER MATTERS 63. The Meeting noted the significant contribution of CBOs/NGOs in disaster management and emergency relief, and held an extensive discussion on how to mutually support, facilitate and strengthen their contribution. The Meeting also noted the ASEAN Secretariat Information Paper on the Concept Proposal on ASEAN Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultative Forum on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development (ANNEX 28), which was endorsed by the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment and is currently being implemented. The Meeting agreed to pursue this modality, particularly among those organisations operating in AMCs. The Meeting requested the ASEAN Secretariat to pursue this matter in consultation with the ACDM focal points. 64. The Meeting noted the ASEAN Secretariat’s information regarding the Russian Federation’s offer to cooperate with ACDM on disaster management, in particular on the use of Russian aviation techniques for fire fighting. AMCs agreed to consider the proposal on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation. Agenda Item 13: DATE AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING 65. The Meeting agreed that Lao PDR, as the next Chairman of the ACDM, will host an ACDM meeting in January 2007. 66. The Meeting also agreed that prior to the meeting in Lao PDR, two ACDM meetings will be held tentatively in June or July 2006 in Indonesia (back-to-back with an ACDM-related event), and in September 2006 in Cambodia (back-to-back with ARDEX-06). Agenda Item 14: ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE ASEAN COMMITTEE ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT 67. The Meeting adopted the Report of the 6th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 68. The Meeting expressed its appreciation to the valuable inputs and cooperation that has been extended by the participants to the Meeting. The Meeting also expressed its sincere appreciation to Indonesia for the excellent arrangements and the warm hospitality accorded to them, and to the ASEAN Secretariat for its valuable assistance. The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN cooperation and cordiality. -----------6th ACDM Meeting, 27 January 2006, Jakarta 14