APEC member economies agreed that in facing natural disasters as devastating as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, APEC should leverage its strengths of multi-sectoral participation, private-sector partnerships, broad regional reach, and high-level political commitment to meet the needs of the region and bring real, lasting benefits to the affected economies as well as the region at large. APEC can play a constructive role in enabling the region to better prepare for future emergencies and natural disasters of all kinds and address long-term commercial recovery in affected sectors.
APEC working groups were responsive to the APEC Strategy on Response to and Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Emergencies. Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG) held an APEC-EqTAP seminar on earthquake and tsunami disaster reduction in Jakarta, Indonesia on 27-28 September 2005. The seminar was designed to disseminate information on earthquake and tsunami disaster reduction technologies to the APEC member economies with solid considerations for their "implementation strategies." The seminar addressed useful technologies on 1) tsunami disaster reduction, 2) disaster management, 3) seismic enhancement of masonry buildings and houses, 4) information dissemination, and 5) education.
In its report to the TFEP, the Energy Working Group (EWG) highlighted projects and initiatives that have assisted member economies in responding to energy emergencies as part of the APEC Energy Security Initiative (ESI). The EWG has carried out the following relevant initiatives: 1) Earthquake Response Cooperation Initiative; 2) Real-Time Emergency Information Sharing; 3) Energy Emergency Preparedness; and 4) EWG Projects and Workshops, such as Evaluation of the role of Village Power Applications in Response to the Tsunami Recovery Effort.
Telecommunication and Information Working Group (TELWG) is by nature an APEC structure that helps the region better prepare for natural disasters and emergencies by universalizing the penetration of telephones, internet, and other communication means. As part of their contribution to World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunisia in November of 2005, TELWG prepared APEC's input to the WSIS, which addresses the development of e-environment applications which are pertaining to emergency preparedness as well, such as 1) APEC i-Disaster Warning Systems development Strategy, and 2)APEC i-Disaster Warning Systems Guides.
APEC's Health Task Force has proposed project proposals relating to increasing regional emergency preparedness for Avian Influenza Pandemics.
At the SMEWG meeting held in Daegu, Korea on 29-30 August 2005, the working group approved the APEC SME Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Checklist. The Checklist was subsequently endorsed by the SME Ministers Meeting held in Daegu on 1-2 September 2005.
APEC member economies, particularly the developed economies, are also enthusiastically involved in organizing information sharing and capacity building activities. The Asia Pacific All Hazards Preparedness and Mitigation Workshop: Realizing Tsunami and Disaster Resilience Through New Partnerships and Technologies was organized by the United States on 6-10 June 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Australia hosted Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response, a high-level meeting, of the twenty-one Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in October 2005 in Brisbane from 31 October to 1 November 2005. The meeting was well attended by high ranking officials from APEC member economies.
In November 2005, APEC Leaders put themselves squarely behind the APEC Strategy on Response to and Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Emergencies. They agreed on collective, practical measures for emergency preparedness, including: strengthening cooperation and technical assistance among APEC economies to limit avian influenza at its source and prevent human outbreaks; developing a list of available and funded regional experts and capabilities for responding rapidly to pandemic influenza in its early stages; testing pandemic preparedness, beginning with a desk-top simulation exercise in early 2006 to test regional responses and communication networks; enhancing public and business outreach and risk communication; and exchanging information on border screening procedures and controls to increase transparency and to reduce risk to trade and travelers.
Under the leadership of co-chairs, the TFEP has made steady progress in coordinating APEC activities for emergency preparedness. The next TFEP meeting will be held on 26 May 2006 to prepare its work plan for 2006. The meeting will also further improve the plan to carry out the desk-top pandemic response simulation exercise approved by the APEC Leaders last November in Busan, Korea. The exercise is to test regional response and communication networks, and it would be the first step in ensuring preparedness across APEC economies for responding to emergencies such as avian and pandemic influenza. The exercise is scheduled for 7-8 June 2006. A post-exercise seminar to share outcomes of the exercise among APEC members is planned for August 2006 in Singapore.
Co-Chair of TFEP Ambassador Primo Alui Joelianto Indonesian APEC Senior Official Director-General for Asia Pacific & Africa Department of Foreign Affairs Jl. Taman Pejambon No. 6 Jakarta Pusat Jakarta 10110 Indonesia Tel: (62-21) 381 3380 Fax: (62-21) 384 4867 E-mail: dithenb@deplu.go.id; apec_indonesia@yahoo.com
APEC Secretariat Mr Tong Xianguo Director (Program) E-mail: txg@apec.org
