Regional Meeting: Myanmar hosts ACDM Working Group meeting

Myanmar hosted the 9th meeting of ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) Working Group on Preparedness, Response and Recovery and related meetings.

Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Kyi attended the opening ceremony and delivered the opening remarks, saying that the meeting is a realization of the commitment of ACDM to enhance disaster preparedness, response and recovery in the ASEAN region.

Over the past decade, ASEAN has shifted from focusing on politics and economics to focusing on socio-economic development and disaster management.

Like other ASEAN member states, Myanmar enacted the Disaster Management Law and Regulations in 2013 and 2015 respectively to ensure effective and rapid disaster management activities.

As the Work Programme is being revised, the Working Group members are encouraged to work towards developing work programmes that are modern, innovative and effective, and can be implemented in a way that is truly feasible based on the resources of the member countries and the region.

The meeting was attended by the co-chairs of the Working Group, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore, representatives from the Working Group member states, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, the Philippines and Thailand, representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Centre (AHA Centre), and representatives from Indonesia and Timor Leste as observers. The meetings will be held for two days from March 20 to 21.