More regional organizations in Asia have reacted to the devastation of the December 2004 tsunami with commitments to improve coordination and collaboration among themselves and outside actors in disaster response. At a summit of heads of state or government held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) declared its support for the elaboration of a “Comprehensive Framework on Early Warning and Disaster Management” and underlined “the urgency to put in place a permanent regional response mechanism dedicated to disaster preparedness, emergency relief and rehabilitation to ensure immediate response”. Read the full text of the Dhaka Declaration.
Similarly, at their summit in Busan, Korea on 18-19 November, the economic leaders of Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) committed to improve their collective response to address disasters, and in particular to take quick steps to confront the rise of avian influenza. Read the full text of the Busan Declaration.