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The Ministerial Meeting on Regional Cooperation on Tsunami Early Warning Arrangements (28-29 January 2005, Phuket) recognized the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center’s (ADPC) readiness to serve as a regional center or focal point for a multi-nodal tsunami early warning arrangement in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. In March 2005, Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam agreed to establish an early warning arrangement that would cover the technological and societal components of warning (end-to-end) and integrate early warning with preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and response (comprehensive) within a multi-hazard framework. The countries requested ADPC, as partner to the Royal Thai Government, to implement and operate the system, and, with other capable organizations, to assist in facilitating resource mobilization, capacity building, tool development, and in advocating for the integration of coastal zone management and disaster management. The countries recommended a participatory system where countries exchange data, information, research results and experience; and form a pool of local experts to participate in regional activities, and of regional and international experts to guide and periodically review the Center’s activities. Subsequently, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka joined the regional grouping, and bilateral agreements with the ten participating countries were signed.

In July 2006, the meeting of national focal points of the ten participating countries agreed that ADPC, as facilitator of the system, shall serve the participating countries as a regional tsunami watch provider. The meeting updated and endorsed for funding and implementation the regional program on end-to-end multi-hazard early warning, developed from two expert consultations in February and April 2005. The meeting also established the program implementation arrangement as follows: a) a Regional Steering Committee of heads of early warning national focal points and international experts to provide policy and technical advice; b) National Steering Committees, with the national focal point as Chair and early warning stakeholders as members for program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including identification of further needs; and c) Local Steering Committees of early warning stakeholders at sub-national and local levels for local implementation of program activities. Myanmar is the current Chair of the Regional Steering Committee, with Sri Lanka and Thailand as Vice Chairs.