CONCEPT NOTE

Background

1. With an ongoing situation in Haiti, we can clearly see that there is an urgent need for improvement of the coordination between the various Military Forces and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on the ground.  A lot of chaos and confusion could have been avoided if a proper framework of cooperation between Militaries and CSOs are in place. Unfortunately, this issue has often been neglected when it comes to discussion on disaster response and relief.
2. Recognizing the importance of the cooperation between Defence Establishment and CSOs, ASEAN has taken the initial effort to look closely into this issue in the Southeast Asia region. The 1st Workshop on ‘ASEAN Defence Establishments and CSOs on Non-Traditional Security (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief)’, co-hosted by Thailand and Malaysia took place on the 8th and 9th of June 2009, at Plaza Athenee in Bangkok, Thailand with a main aim was to address various issues which were and potentially could have been faced by the ASEAN Defence Establishment and the CSOs when it came to working together for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
3. Over 200 representatives from the military and the CSOs from the ASEAN group of countries attended this workshop and several challenges and areas for improvement were identified during the two-day event.  The participants also suggested strategies and analysis to tackle the various issues faced during Disaster Management and a report was prepared to acknowledge the need for further action to improve the cooperation between ASEAN defence establishment and CSOs.

1^st CSO Workshop Summary of Recommendations

4. To promote trust and mutual understanding of cultures and modus operandi between the defense establishments and the CSOs through, amongst others, awareness-raising forums and dialogues.

5. To consider developing a directory of CSOs which outlines their roles, functions and capabilities. Each Member State could also develop its own accreditation standard of the CSOs. At a later stage, ASEAN Member States can explore the development of a list of ASEAN accredited CSOs in line with the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER).

6. To suggest the participation of the CSOs in relevant ASEAN activities, such as training programs and simulation exercises, and on-going efforts to identify potential areas where the CSOs could work with ASEAN Member States, including the defense establishments, within the framework of AADMER.

Objectives for 2^nd CSO Workshop

7. To lay the foundation for ASEAN to advocate the importance of the cooperation between defence establishment and CSOs and possible play the lead role in implementing concrete framework through the AADMER in member countries.

8.  To familiarize the different stakeholders in the disaster risk management  field with the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response

9.  To facilitate the communication among different stakeholders of humanitarian assistance and relief operation in post disaster scenario

10. To propose a concrete next step to improve the coordination between military and CSOs for future humanitarian assistance and relief operation

Main themes for 2^nd CSO Workshop  

11. In order to continue and follow up on the discussion during the first workshop, we are proposing hold the second workshop on ASEAN Defence Establishments and CSOs on Non-Traditional Security Disaster Management Since several key areas had been identified during the previous event, we would like to focus on those and concentrate our effort in the following themes

    11.1 ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) AADMER has been ratified by all ten ASEAN Members and it is to provide a framework for the development of operational procedures to respond collectively and expeditiously to disasters. AADMER includes provisions for movement of relief assistance, expedited customs and immigration clearance, etc. AADMER also provides for the establishment of an ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Center) to undertake operational coordination of activities under the Agreement. We would like to take this event to educate the different stakeholders involved in the disaster risk management and disaster response and relief effort to let them fully understand the implication of AADMER and how we could potential utilize the agreement to facilitate the cooperation between the military and CSOs.

    11.2 Coordination between military and CSOs in the humanitarian and relief effort

11.2.1 The draft of SASOP is still pending. The need to recommend of this issue is very essential in particular Chapter VI.

11.2.2 Coordination of the logistic capabilities of the military and the know-how of the CSOs is crucial for a successful humanitarian and relief effort in the aftermath of natural disasters. We intend to look more closely at this issue and to recommend concrete steps that can be taken in order to facilitate the cooperation between the two important key players in any humanitarian and relief operation.

11.2.3 We could divide the discussion on coordination into three different stages:

• Before natural hazards strike

• In the immediate aftermath of natural disasters

• For the rebuilding phase after the recovery/rescue phase has ended

11.3    Management of logistic and supply in the aftermath of natural disasters With the vast capabilities of the military to be able to deliver the necessary supplies to disaster affected area in the immediate aftermath of any natural disasters, it is very important to have a proper framework for the delivery of these supplies to the needy in a timely manner. Also with the influx of donations from various sectors around the world, how to best coordinate these good intentions and put them into best use requires a well thought out plan beforehand and good coordination among the different stakeholders in any relief operation.

11.4. Effects of psychological trauma on disasters victims As we have seen from recent disasters in the region, the psychological effects on the disasters victims are often placed at a lower priority or simply ignored during a relief and response operation. It is very important for us to aware that the psychological trauma suffered by the victims of disasters will take years to heal and it is critical for the humanitarian agencies and the military to have a proper and effective psychological support program in place to look after these people both for the short immediate care and the long term psychological support.
 

Format of 2^nd CSO Workshop

12. We propose to have a three-day workshop with each day of the workshop having its own focused theme. We will start with presentation in the morning sessions followed by group discussion in the afternoon. On the last day, a final wrap up session will give the participants an opportunity to summarize the findings of the workshop and to recommend the next step forward.

Potential participants

13. We intend to invite the following agencies to participate this workshop:

• Ministry of Defense of ASEAN Countries

• Ministry of Interior/ Home Affairs of ASEAN Countries

• Ministry of Health of ASEAN Countries

• Ministry of Transportation  of ASEAN Countries

• Ministry of Finance

• Local and regional media

• National Disaster Management Organization of ASEAN Countries

• ASEAN Secretariat

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (on behalf of ASEAN Regional Forum)

• UN-OCHA

• ECHO

• WHO

• IFRC

• ICRC

• Thai Red Cross and other red cross organization from the ASEAN region

• CSOs (from the ASEAN region)

• Civil Defense

• Donor agencies

• Transportation and logistics companies (DHL, UPS, Fedex)

We expect a total of 250 participants for this event.

Proposed Venue and Dates of the workshop

14. We are proposing to hold the second workshop in June 2010. The venue, the agenda and the program of activities for the workshop will be announced at a later date.

Outcome of the workshop

15. The procedures will be recorded so that all discussion points are captured. The workshop report will be a published so that the participants can have that as a reference