Round table meeting on Innovations in technology for Disaster Rescue Efforts amongst ASEM countries

Background Note

At the EAS Foreign Ministers' Consultations in Bali on July 22, 2011, most of the countries had emphasized the need to improve coordination amongst EAS member countries on disaster management and relief. Taking clue from the East Asia Summit (EAS) on 19 November 2011, at Bali, Indonesia and successful organization of 1st EAS-India Workshop-2012 in New Delhi, followed by Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM11) in New Delhi in November 2013, an initiative for Roundtables on Disaster Management for ASEM/EAS/ASEAN countries has emerged. The main objective is setting up of an East Asia Centre for Natural Disaster Management and Relief in India, as part of India’s Look East Policy. It was suggested that a meeting be convened of the Heads of National Disaster Management Agencies among ASEM partners.

Some of the specific aspects in multilateral-coordination are: (i) establishment of clear channels of communication for international assistance; (ii) compilation and creation of a database of individual countries disaster response capabilities pre-cleared for rapid deployment in order to ensure efficient management of collective resources; (iii) certification of procedures for quick deployment of medical practitioners, relief volunteers, dog squads and custom facilitation for aid materials; and (iv) pre-positioning of materials to shorten response time.

The importance of India in building up its capacities towards international cooperation in disaster management has been highlighted so that it could contribute substantially in the region towards this cause.

Objectives

The main objectives of two days roundtable meetings would be to:

Focus ASEM attention on how innovations in technology can be utilized to save lives and reduce effective response time by Governments and how ASEM countries can contribute to capacity development on both the continents through a sharing of systems of best practices
Facilitate building partnerships amongst interested ASEM member countries and their Industry in the context of efforts towards building disaster rescue and relief capacities, including development of joint ventures
Introduce the VKP and allow the 24x7 PoCs of the EAS member countries to deliberate and finalize their ToRs

Scope of the Roundtables

The workshop envisages to:

Bring all EAS member countries, for a two day summit in Delhi to discuss and draw mechanism for cross border assistance following major disasters
Discuss the issues for providing international assistance across borders in affected countries and to develop emergency response framework
Provide road map for coordinating multidimensional measures against disasters
Dialog with major international organisations working in disaster response such as UNOCHA, IFRC as well as Major UN Humanitarian aid Agencies and NGOs