The ASEAN declaration
The ASEAN declaration
We, the Heads of State/Government, Special Envoys and Heads of
regional as well as international organizations, who gathered
here on Jan. 6, 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressed solemnly
our profound sorrow and our solidarity to overcome the
unprecedented catastrophe befalling the Indian Ocean rim
countries on Dec. 26, 2004.
This unprecedented devastation needs unprecedented global
response in assisting the national governments to cope with such
disaster. This would entail efforts in emergency relief,
rehabilitation, and reconstruction that may take five to ten
years, with resources that cannot be borne by any individual
country.
We deeply appreciate the generous contribution and assistance
offered by many countries and the overwhelming expressions of
support and assistance from governments, non-governmental
organizations and citizens of the world at large.
We applaud the leading role of the affected countries in
addressing this disaster, and we recognize the role of the United
Nations in assisting the affected countries' coordination of
international assistance at the emergency relief phase.
We underlined the need to coordinate better and ensure that
those contributions would be effective and sustainable, to truly
address the suffering of the victims and to prevent such calamity
from recurring.
We expressed our continuing commitment to assist the affected
countries and their peoples in order to fully recover from the
catastrophic and traumatic effects of the disaster, including in
their mid and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction
efforts.
To these ends, we agreed to:
* Emergency Relief
a. Urgently mobilize further additional resources to meet the
emergency relief needs of victims in the affected countries.
b. Request the United Nations to mobilize the international
community to support the national relief emergency programs in
the affected countries, and welcomed in this regard, the Flash
Appeal by the United Nations. In this connection, further request
the United Nations to appoint a Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General for the above purpose; to convene an
international pledging conference for the sustainability of
humanitarian relief efforts; and to explore the establishment of
"standby arrangement" at the global level for immediate
humanitarian relief efforts.
c. Strengthen coordination and cooperation of the national,
regional and international relief efforts, to ensure effective
and immediate distribution of the assistance.
d. Support the efforts of the affected countries, as national
coordinators, to ensure an effective channeling and utilization
of assistance as offered by donor countries, international
organizations and non-governmental relief organizations.
* Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
a. Support and emphasize the importance of national
rehabilitation and reconstruction programs given the devastation
of the basic infrastructures and services in the affected
countries. The reconstruction and rehabilitation phase should
link seamlessly with the humanitarian relief efforts.
b. Call on the international community, in particular the
donor countries, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the
Islamic Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and related
international financial institutions to provide the necessary
fund for the viability and sustainability of those programs.
c. Establish a partnership, upon the request and the
leadership of the country concerned, involving donor countries
and regional as well as international financial institutions, to
support the respective national programs of the affected
countries.
d. Welcome the initiative of several countries on the
moratorium of payments of the external debt of the affected
countries to augment their national capacity to carry out the
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
e. Promote and encourage private sector participation in and
contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
* Prevention and Mitigation
a. Support ASEAN's decision to establish regional mechanisms
on disaster prevention and mitigation, inter alia:
i. The utilization of military and civilian personnel in
disaster relief operation and an ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance
Centre, as provided for in the ASEAN Security Community Plan of
Action;
ii. ASEAN Disaster Information Sharing and Communication
Network, as provided for in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
component of the Vientiane Action Program;
iii. A regional instrument on disaster management and
emergency response.
b. Establish a regional early warning system such as Regional
Tsunami Early Warning Center on the Indian Ocean and the
Southeast Asia region.
c. Promote public education and awareness as well as community
participation in disaster prevention and mitigation through inter
alia a community based disaster preparedness and early response.
d. Develop and promote national and regional human and
institutional capacity, transfer of know-how, technology, and
scientific knowledge in building and managing a regional early
warning system and disaster management through international
cooperation and partnership.
We believe that through concerted efforts, spurred by spirit
of compassion and sacrifice and endurance, together, we will
prevail in overcoming this catastrophe.
The above article is the declaration of the special ASEAN
leaders's meeting on aftermath of earthquake and tsunami on
action to strengthen emergency relief, rehabilitation,
reconstruction and prevention on the aftermath of earthquake and
tsunami disaster of Dec. 26, 2004