On 27 July 2005, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, signed an Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response. Once ratified by all the ASEAN member governments, the Agreement will commit member States to improve cooperation and coordination for the prevention of, preparedness for, and response to disasters and puts in place an array of new measures to facilitate this process, ranging from new regional structures and mechanisms to the reduction of legal and administrative barriers to the entry and effective distribution of outside aid, such as immigration and customs controls. The Agreement encourages information sharing and cooperation between the member states about disaster risks and the establishment of effective monitoring, assessment and early warning systems. Each member state is urged to identify a National Focal Point to facilitate the exchange of information.
The Agreement identifies a number of regional preparedness and response measures such as the development of Standard Operating Procedures and the identification of national resources which may be available for regional deployment. In situations where regional deployment is required, it provides a process for regulating offers and requests for assistance between ASEAN member states as well as for offers of assistance by non-member States, humanitarian organizations and individuals. For the purpose of facilitating co-operation and co-ordination among the Parties, it establishes a new regional body - the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA), as well as a new ASEAN Disaster Management and Emergency Relief Fund for the implementation of the Agreement.
The ASEAN Agreement provides a number of exemptions and facilities for relief providers, in accordance with national laws and regulations. For instance, it provides special exemptions for relief providers from taxation, duties and other charges for importing vehicles, telecommunications, facilities and other equipment materials. Equally, it facilitates the entry, stay and departure of relief personnel and allows the arrival of military and related civilian aircrafts and vessels without tax, licenses and other permits. At the same time, it seeks to ensure that goods and materials for relief efforts meet quality standards. For more information, please visit the ASEAN website at http://www.aseansec.org/.