APEC to Launch Virtual Task Force for Emergency Preparedness
As part of action in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami, APEC will establish a virtual task force to unify resources and skills in the APEC community to deal with future emergencies and natural disasters.
The decision to establish the Virtual Task Force for Emergency Preparedness was made at the First APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for 2005 today in Seoul, Korea.
The Virtual Task Force will strengthen coordination efforts among APEC Member Economies and fora in relation to disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in disaster stricken areas. Core aims of the task force are to strengthen preventive measures and enhance preparedness for natural disasters. The task force will also undertake capacity building initiatives to improve regional emergency and natural disaster management capability.
It is anticipated that once priorities have been identified the task force will seek to build capacity in order to deal with regional emergencies and disasters such a disease outbreaks, natural calamities and terrorist actions.
SOM Chair, Ambassador Jong-Hoon Kim, has been empowered by Senior Officials to act as coordinator of the APEC-wide emergency and natural disaster preparedness activities in the event of a sudden or unexpected crisis.
Ambassador Kim said the APEC approach will be to enhance regional emergency preparedness and disaster recovery measures by focusing on APEC's key strengths.
"APEC Member Economies and Fora have a range of skills and resources that can be combined and used to complement the actions taken by other bodies." Ambassador Kim said after the SOM Meeting.
"The Virtual Task Force for Emergency Preparedness will cooperate with other international forums, the private sector and NGOs in areas of natural disaster response and preparedness.
"The Virtual Task force will be jointly chaired by Indonesia and Australia and will have its first physical meeting in April or May in Indonesia.
"At this meeting in Indonesia the task force will collate reports from APEC fora to identify gaps in regional preparedness and immediate and long-term priorities."
Senior Officials have instructed APEC working groups and fora to intensify efforts in enhancing disaster management capacity building and educate the public on natural disaster prevention and salvation skills. Working groups and fora have also been asked to identify and to notify the Virtual Task Force of their current emergency and natural disaster management activities before the task force meets in April or May 2005.
An earlier Emergency Preparedness Virtual Task Force was established in 1997 and concluded when its set tasks had concluded. The new task force will help to better prepare the APEC region for future natural disasters. This will include rejuvenating the Emergency Preparedness Website hosted by Australia in order to facilitate information sharing and best practice exchange.