November 28, 2020

Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye and officials joined the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) via videoconferencing yesterday .
The meeting discussed the second edition of ASEAN-UNESCAP Ready for the Dry Years, and a joint report of ASEAN and UNESCAP, as well as playing the video clip of drought in regions.
The opening speech was delivered by Under Secretary for Office of the Civil Defence Mr Ricardo B. Jalad of the alternate country, the Philippines and other ministers of ASEAN respectively made a speech.
During the meeting, Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye extended condolences to the Philippine over the heavy casualties during the typhoon and comforted that the country always stands with the Philippine according to the unified tradition of ASEAN.
He also discussed the challenges of disasters in ASEAN countries, the globally outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of the effective ASEAN rehabilitation framework to remedy the consequence of COVID-19 in the long run, efforts of Myanmar in protecting the vulnerable community while implementing the COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan, AADMER Work Programme (AWP) (2021-2025), efforts to support the resilience of education and health sectors amid the disaster, cooperation works in preparations for environmental, technological and biological disasters in addition to other disasters.
The Union Minister also said the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once said at the 37th ASEAN Summit that the greater internal unity and external stability could respond to the changes effectively and it needs to strengthen the ability to maintain the ASEAN unity and cooperation in disaster management included in the ASEAN 2025 vision.
The AHA Centre reports were read, and the Ministers coordinated the meeting. The new ADDMER Work Programme (2021-2025) was approved, and the Ministers took the commemorative photo.
The Philippines handed over the 2021 ASEAN chairmanship to Singapore and fixed the date and places to hold the 9th Ministerial Meeting.
The Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management and side events were held on 25 and 26 November and attended by Director-General for Disaster Management Dr Ko Ko Naing and other officials.
The 8th Ministerial Meeting was attended by ASEAN Disaster Management Ministers, Senior Officials of ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, the representatives of ASEAN Secretary-General’s Office and AHA Centre.—MNA (Translated by Khine Thazin Han)