The ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) was first established in 2003 to facilitate regional cooperation in addressing problems associated with disaster management, and enable individual members to fully realize their development potentials as well as to enhance the mutual ASEAN spirit.  The ACDM comprised the National Disaster Management Organization (NDMOs) from each ASEAN Member State that meets at least once a year.  The ACDM main roles include: 

• To provide leadership and guidance towards fulfilling the goals and objectives of AADMER, according to the vision of disaster-resilient nations and safer communities within ASEAN by 2015; 
• To initiate, direct and oversee the development, monitoring and implementation of the AADMER Work Programme and other initiatives implemented by the respective working groups; 
• To strengthen coordination with relevant ASEAN bodies; 
• To collaborate with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, multilateral agencies, NGOs and the private sector. 

The ACDM is supported by five (5) ACDM Working Groups, namely: (i) Risk Assessment and Awareness; (ii) Prevention and Mitigation; (iii) Preparedness and Response; (iv) Recovery; and (v) Knowledge and Innovation Management.  As the Lead Sectoral Body in charge for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), the ACDM also coordinates its work with other relevant ASEAN bodies through the Joint Task Force (JTF) on HADR which consists of the Chairs from the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (ASEAN SOM), the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting (ADSOM), the Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) and Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD).  The ACDM also engages various partners and stakeholders to ensure that the implementation of the AADMER is inclusive and comprehensive.  The ACDM’s work is guided by the AADMER and its subsequent Work Programmes, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprints, ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management and the ASEAN Declaration on ‘One ASEAN One Response’.  The ACDM Focal Points also act in a separate capacity as the Governing Board of the AHA Centre.  The ACDM reports regularly to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) and the Conference of Parties (COP) to the AADMER. 

      The Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (DMHA) Division at the ASEAN Socio-Cultural (ASCC) Pillar of the ASEAN Secretariat is responsible for (i) managing ASEAN’s cooperation in disaster management; (ii) supporting and facilitating the work of the ACDM as the Lead Sectoral Body in charge of disaster management in ASEAN, including the AMMDM,  the COP to the AADMER, and the ACDM Working Groups; and (iii) monitoring the implementation and operationalization of ASEAN’s agreements on disaster management including the AADMER and its Work Programmes as well as the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response: Responding to Disasters Within and Outside the Region.  DMHA also supports the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) as the regional hub for information and knowledge for disaster management, and as the coordination engine to ensure ASEAN’s fast and collective response to disasters within the ASEAN region, including in the mobilisation of resources to disaster-affected areas. The Division also work closely with relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, United Nations, Civil Society Organizations, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, private sector entities, academe, other regional organisations, and many others.

     Significant strides have been achieved in the development of disaster management tools and capacities since the adoption of the AADMER.  On Disaster Risk Reduction, ASEAN has strengthened efforts to mainstream risk assessment and awareness through several key initiatives including the adoption of ASEAN Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) Guidelines which provides a curated risk analysis for respective ASEAN Member States, advocating for the ASEAN Safe School Initiative (ASSI) to raise awareness and preparedness amongst youths in ASEAN, the development of the urban resilience guidebook and checklists, strengthening institutional frameworks for mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), and fostering regional risk financing and insurance framework through ASEAN Disaster Risk Financing Insurance (DRFI) programme, among others.  Some of ASEAN’s flagship initiatives in disaster preparedness and response include the ASEAN Joint Disaster Response Plan (AJDRP) which outlines ASEAN’s standby arrangements for large-scale disasters, the ASEAN Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP) which serves as the main SOP governing disaster response in the region, the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) that supports disaster-affected countries in the region by providing immediate needs analysis, the AHA Centre Executive Programme (ACE) which is a capacity-building and training programme for the next generation of leaders in disaster management.