ASEAN navy officers, defense researchers now crafting HADR

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 25): ASEAN navy officers, defense researchers now crafting HADR

Around 30 ASEAN navy officers and civilian defense researchers gathered at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday to work on a common protocol for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HADR) in the region.

Senior naval officers from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, along with civilian defense researchers from Singapore and the Philippines, are now crafting a document that will guide the bilateral and multilateral arrangements to HADR actions of the various maritime and naval forces in the ASEAN region.

The participants will also become the initial Navy focal persons on HADR for their respective navies.

The workshop was initiated and hosted by the Philippine Navy following the challenges, problems and difficulties it encountered in the multinational disaster response during super typhoon "Yolanda" in November last year.

The common protocol for HADR operations, if finally approved and signed into a formal agreement by all ASEAN navies, is expected to provide common procedures as reference for planning, training and conduct of HADR operations in accordance with international standards and principles.

The workshop will also cover mutually agreed standard operation procedures, including organization, administrative support, planning and communications guide to be used by the participating ASEAN navies.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=619759