Cambodia currently serves as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). ACDM Chair and Secretary General of the National Committee for Disaster Management of Cambodia Kim Virak discussess ASEAN’s progress under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), its growing role in shaping global disaster management, and how Cambodia’s 2025 Chairmanship is steering the region’s disaster management agenda forward.
Why is the AADMER crucial to the regional cooperation in disaster management with the increasing threats of disasters, including climate-related incidents?
As Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), Cambodia stands at a pivotal moment in the region’s journey toward resilience. At the centre of this effort is the AADMER, the region’s legally binding framework for disaster cooperation and response. Its importance cannot be overstated: in a region where floods, typhoons, earthquakes, and droughts frequently strike across borders, AADMER ensures that no country faces disaster alone. It transforms the principle of solidarity into concrete actions through the mechanisms for preparedness, emergency response, and long-term recovery.
As climate-related disasters intensify, AADMER remains crucial to strengthening regional cooperation by enabling shared leadership, capacity building, and rapid response, while also integrating climate adaptation and promoting innovative, inclusive approaches to build a more resilient ASEAN.
What are the most significant achievements in the past 20 years?
Since it entered into force in 2009, AADMER has played a vital role in strengthening collective disaster management across the region. One of its landmark achievements is the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), which facilitates regional coordination and information sharing to support humanitarian response. In addition, various mechanisms have also been developed to enhance regional disaster management, including the Standard Operating Procedures for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP), which guide collective action during emergencies.
ASEAN has also developed practical tools and mechanisms, such as the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA), which pre-positions relief items in warehouses in Subang (Malaysia), Chainat (Thailand), and Pampanga (Philippines) for rapid deployment. Policy frameworks like the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response further strengthened collective action by committing all Member States to keep a united front in responding swiftly to disasters.
These mechanisms were tested most recently during the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX-25), hosted by Cambodia in Phnom Penh in July 2025. The exercise simulated large-scale flooding caused by super typhoons, mobilising ASEAN’s standby assets, testing DELSA logistics, and applying SASOP procedures. For Cambodia, leading ARDEX-25 was clear evidence of both capacity and responsibility, proving that AADMER is more than theory—it is a practical living framework that saves lives.
How do the ASEAN Leaders’ Declarations serve as a guide in enhancing disaster management and building disaster resilience in the region?
ASEAN Leaders’ Declarations are critical in enhancing disaster management and building resilience across the region. These Declarations reaffirm a political commitment to integrating disaster risk reduction into broader development and resilient agendas, ensuring that disaster management is not treated as a standalone issue, but as a core component of ASEAN’s sustainable growth.
These Declarations also help ensure a comprehensive approach to the disaster management cycle, from prevention and preparedness to response and recovery, by setting priorities that are institutionalised through mechanisms like the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management and operationalised by the AHA Centre. They also promote cross-sectoral collaboration, inclusive approaches, and regional solidarity by encouraging coordination among various ASEAN sectoral bodies.
Furthermore, the Declarations have paved the way for the development of regional tools. By aligning policy direction, operational mechanisms, and partnerships, these Declarations reinforce ASEAN’s commitment to building a disaster-resilient and responsive region.
How has ASEAN become a global leader in disaster management?
ASEAN has emerged as a global leader in disaster management through a comprehensive, institutionalised approach built over more than two decades under the AADMER. High-level political guidance, reflected in Leaders’ Declarations such as One ASEAN, One Response and Sustainable Resilience, has been translated into concrete actions through the AADMER Work Programmes, covering the full disaster management cycle.
ASEAN’s operational tools, including SASOP, the ASEAN Joint Disaster Response Plan, ASEAN Disaster Information Network, ASEAN Disaster Monitoring and Response System, and the ASEAN Capacity Building Roadmap, among others, have enhanced regional preparedness and response. Institutions like the AHA Centre and mechanisms such as DELSA and ASEAN ERAT have significantly improved coordination and logistics in emergencies.
ASEAN has also strengthened cross-sectoral links and standardised disaster risk communication. Financial resilience is bolstered through the ASEAN Disaster Management Fund and Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF). Partnerships with the UN, civil society, and Dialogue Partners, along with a focus on innovation and digital infrastructure, further solidify ASEAN’s leadership in shaping regional and global disaster resilience agendas
How is Cambodia’s 2025 Chairmanship advancing ASEAN’s strategic vision for disaster management under the AADMER Work Plan 2026–2030 and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045?
Looking ahead, Cambodia is placing a strong emphasis on the forthcoming AADMER Work Plan 2026–2030, which prioritises innovation, inclusivity, and climate adaptation for disaster management across the region. These priorities aim to shape a more anticipated people-centred ASEAN. In the long term, the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 sets the goal of a disaster-resilient, climate-adaptive ASEAN that safeguards livelihoods and sustains development.
As Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) and the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) in 2025, Cambodia leads under the theme: “20 Years of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER): ASEAN’s Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience.” This theme marks two decades of regional cooperation and highlights ASEAN’s forward-looking ambition to be a global leader in disaster resilience.
Under Cambodia’s leadership, ASEAN achieved key milestones that are set to shape the region’s disaster management landscape. A central achievement is the development of the AADMER Work Programme 2026–2030, which will guide ASEAN’s strategic direction in disaster management over the next five years. Another major initiative is the successful conduct of the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise 2025 (ARDEX-25), held on 21-25 July 2025. This full-scale simulation tested and strengthened ASEAN’s emergency response mechanisms, enhancing regional coordination and operational readiness.
In addition, two crucial regional statements were adopted through a referendum by the ASEAN Ministers-in-charge of Disaster Management: the Joint Statement of ASEAN for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2025, adopted on 19 May 2025; and the ASEAN Ministerial Statement on the 20th Anniversary of AADMER: ASEAN’s Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience, adopted on 1 August 2025.
To support these efforts, Cambodia, in close coordination with the ASEAN Secretariat, convened the 46th ACDM Meeting and related events from 20 to 23 May 2025, and the 47th ACDM Meeting, the 13th AMMDM, and associated meetings from 13 to 16 October 2025. These high-level gatherings ensure strategic planning, policy coordination, and regional alignment toward a safer, more resilient ASEAN.
