Thursday, December 24, 2009

South-East Asia disaster-management pact comes into force

Thu, 24 Dec 2009
DPA

Jakarta - An agreement on joint efforts to respond to disasters in South-East Asia came into force Thursday, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said. The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response has been ratified by all 10 ASEAN members after four months of negotiations, the Jakarta-based ASEAN secretariat said in a statement.

It contains provisions on disaster risk identification, monitoring and early warning, prevention and mitigation, preparedness and response, rehabilitation, cooperation and research, mechanisms for coordination, and simplified customs and immigration procedures, the statement said.

The agreement, which was signed by ASEAN foreign ministers in July 2005, also provides for the creation of a regional coordinating centre for humanitarian assistance in the event of a disaster.

A programme to put the agreement into action from 2010 to 2015 is to be adopted in early March.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

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