ADMM works on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
(VOV) - Vietnam and China have shared hosting duties for the third ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus Expert Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief on January 17.
The meeting heard updates regarding new developments in regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation.
Participants reviewed the working group’s activities over the 2011–2013 period and began devising its action plans for 2014–2016.
Vietnam People’s Army General Staff Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan used his speech to emphasize the importance of cooperation, regional connectivity, and international integration to regional political life.
Joint efforts at improving cooperation, information sharing, and resource mobilisation resources can mitigate and even prevent natural disasters, Tuan said. He noted humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will only become even more important as the severity of climate change’s repercussion loom threateningly.
Meeting participants shared experiences in organizing ASEAN regional disaster response exercises during 2013 and ongoing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief campaigns.
Discussions focused on the help offered to Japanese victims of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear incident, as well as Philippine victims of super storm Haiyan.