ASEAN needs UN to maintain emergency aid: RI<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is
\nlikely to ask the United Nations to coordinate the emergency
\nrelief for tsunami victims in the region.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ministry for Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty
\nNatalegawa said the UN could ensure the sustainability of foreign
\naid to those countries ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami.<\/p>\n
The suggestion for a greater UN role in post-tsunami relief
\nefforts arose on Wednesday during a meeting of senior ASEAN
\nofficials here, ahead of the international tsunami relief summit
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The UN has a unique role in leading international attention
\nand political will. But we need to define the ways we can utilize
\nthe UN's unique role for one purpose. For this, we need the
\nwisdom of all the leaders,\" said Marty, who is also the foreign
\nministry's directorate general for ASEAN cooperation.<\/p>\n
He said the suggestion required the approval of heads of state
\nattending the summit to become official.<\/p>\n
Marty underlined the importance of sustainable foreign
\nemergency aid, citing to the failure of donor countries to keep
\ntheir promises for relief aid in the aftermath of the earthquake
\nin Bam, Iran. The Iran quake, which claimed 30,000 lives,
\noccurred exactly one year before the Asian disaster, on Dec. 26,
\n2003.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
\nsaid on the first anniversary of the quake that Iran received
\nonly US$17 million, far below the $1 billion pledged by foreign
\ndonors. Khatami did not identify any individual countries. As a
\nconsequence, Iranian quake victims were denied basic needs, such
\nas shelter and medical treatment.<\/p>\n
The leaders of 19 countries are to issue a joint declaration
\nat the end of the one-day summit at the Jakarta Convention
\nCenter, which is to detail rehabilitation and reconstruction
\nmeasures. The declaration will also determine mitigation and
\nprevention phases, specifically the need to install an Indian
\nOcean early warning system.<\/p>\n
Koji Tsuruoka, deputy director-general of foreign policy at
\nthe Japanese foreign ministry, told a press briefing here that
\nthe summit would see the end to an international coalition to
\ncoordinate worldwide relief and reconstruction efforts for
\ntsunami-stricken countries.<\/p>\n
\"The task will be conducted either bilaterally between donors
\nand affected countries or through UN coordination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The coalition, grouping Japan, India, the U.S. and Australia,
\nand including Canada, the Netherlands and the UN, was announced
\non Dec. 29 by U.S. President George W. Bush.<\/p>\n
\"The coordination and identification of priority (after the
\ncoalition is disbanded) are going to be the prerogative of the
\naffected governments,\" Tsuruoka said.<\/p>\n
\"In Indonesia, for example, Vice President Jusuf Kalla has
\nbeen appointed to coordinate national emergency relief efforts.
\nWe are very comfortable and confident that this will be
\neffective,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed a hope
\nthat the summit would develop concrete measures for coordinating
\nrelief and rehabilitation efforts.<\/p>\n
\"... (The summit) will make a major contribution to ensuring
\nthat there is a coordinated effort and (that) they are stronger
\ncontributions than might have been the case without the summit,\"
\nDowner said on Wednesday before meeting Kalla.<\/p>\n
He said the Australian government was particularly concerned
\nabout medium- and long-term relief and rehabilitation efforts.<\/p>\n
\"In the case of Aceh, these communities have been stripped
\nbare, and I think it could take years (to rebuild) ... by, and
\nwith the help of the outside world, the survivors,\" Downer said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-needs-un-to-maintain-emergency-aid-ri-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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