The 18th ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief

Vientiane, Lao PDR

April 3, 2019

1. The 18th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief was held in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on April 3, 2019. The meeting was co-chaired by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the People’s Republic of China, and Canada.

2. Representatives from ARF participating countries discussed six agendas and shared business models, best practices, and homegrown approaches to raise the awareness of potential risks of unforseen disasters and to take further steps in capacity building in disaster response and preparedness at the local and national levels.

* Agenda list: ①Update on the ARF Disaster Work Plan 2018-2020 and Future Direction, ②Effective Emergency Management and Preparedness, ③Improving Cooperation on Disaster Relief in order to Enhance Capacity Building of ARF Participants. ④Role of Civil-Military Cooperation in Responding to Disaster, ⑤Regional Mechanisms for Disaster Management and International Coordination on Humanitarian Assistance, ⑥Post-Disaster Responses including Recovery and Reconstruction