MANILA, Philippines— ASEAN Member States, alongside regional and international partners, convened during the first session of the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) to strengthen coherence between global and regional disaster risk reduction commitments. The high-level panel focused on accelerating the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 and the AADMER Work Programme 2026–2030.
Moderated by Ms. Kareff Rafisura, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction at UNESCAP, the discussion featured key perspectives from Dr. Abdul Muhari, Deputy Minister for Prevention at Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB); Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito R. Alejandro IV, Deputy Administrator for Administration at the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense; Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Chief of the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; and Mr. Shombi Sharp, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
Framing 2026–2030 as a critical window for accelerated action, the panel reviewed progress and remaining gaps under existing disaster reduction frameworks. Panelists drew attention to the region’s increasingly complex risks, including compounding climate impacts, environmental damage, rapid urbanization, technological hazards, and widening socioeconomic inequality.
Dr. Abdul Muhari pointed out that while global reporting under the Sendai Framework reflects significant progress in disaster risk governance, member states must now accelerate translating these administrative systems into reduced impacts on the ground.
"We should not ask, 'Did the infrastructure survive?' Instead, we should go forward, 'Can the system continue to function at minimum services?” stated Dr. Muhari. “We should see the protection is not in particular assets, but in systems. We should ensure that the steel can deliver the minimum services under unexpected stresses."
Highlighting the systemic connection between development and disaster risk, Mr. Shombi Sharp stressed that resilience must be embedded in all public and private sector investments.
"If development is not risk-informed and disaster-resilient, it is not development," Sharp remarked.
To ensure commitments lead to measurable progress, emphasis was placed on strengthening monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning systems while avoiding excessive administrative burdens. Strategic focus was also given to improving policy coherence across disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.
"The key principle should be to make monitoring and reporting more useful rather than simply asking members to report more," added Dr. Muhari. "We must adopt the approach of collect once, use multiple times.” He stressed that accountability should be linked to real-world results such as reduced risk, better-prepared communities, effective early action, and strengthened local resilience rather than simply tallying submitted reports or completed activities.
Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito R. Alejandro IV emphasized that regional commitments only gain true value when translated into local actions. "Implementation must be supported by adequate capacities and resources," Alejandro noted.
Reflecting on ASEAN's leadership, Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta highlighted how the region is trailblazing oon global disaster governance. “AADMER is the only international legally binding agreement on disaster risk reduction and has been the case for 20 years,’’ he pointed out. He also called for deeper private sector engagement, emphasizing that linking businesses with early warning systems, damage and loss tracking, and risk-informed capital investments will serve as a major innovation for disaster risk management beyond 2030.
The AADMER Work Programme 2026–2030 serves as the primary mechanism for regional resilience, driven by core priorities in prevention, mitigation, and global leadership. Panelists explored how ASEAN Member States, sectoral bodies, the AHA Centre, and development partners can actively contribute to its implementation.
Among the top priorities identified was the urgent need to expand universal, people-centered multi-hazard early warning systems and institutionalize anticipatory action through stronger science-policy partnerships, innovation, and transboundary collaboration.
Recommendations from the session will form part of the Manila Declaration, outlining ASEAN’s collective commitments heading into the 2030 deadline.
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