Japan-United Kingdom Relations
JAPAN-UK HA / DR SEMINAR in Manila
January 28, 2016
- The Governments of Japan and the UK co-hosted a seminar from January 20 to 22, 2016 in Manila, the Philippines, on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA / DR). Experts in the field of HA / DR from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and JICA from Japan, as well as those from the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defense from the UK attended it. Experts from 10 ASEAN member countries, international organizations and others also attended.
- Japanese participants explained the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030” which was adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, in 2015, introducing their experiences in assistance for reconstruction including international emergency response in the ASEAN region (in the wake of an earthquake in Nepal in April 2015, a typhoon in the Philippines in November 2013, and a flooding in Thailand in November 2011). They pointed out the importance of the concept of “Build Back Better,” which is the backbone of the Sendai Framework, and prior investment in disaster risk reduction. They also explained their framework of international emergency response with specific cases, as well as assistance programs for capacity building.
- The UK also explained its efforts in the area of HA / DR. After that, participants had lively discussions on methods and ideas of HA / DR, protection of children in the wake of disaster, necessity of community-level assistance, and ways to utilize data on disaster.
- This seminar is the first Japan-UK collaboration project in Southeast Asia. It was convened given that Japan and the UK had confirmed that the two countries would deepen cooperation in Southeast Asia at the second Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo on January 8. The two countries will continue to advance cooperation in various areas.
- The outcomes of this seminar will be introduced and shared during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief (ISM on DR) to be held in Myanmar in February.