Phnom Penh, October 16 (AseanAll) — ASEAN and its partners reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing cooperation in strengthening regional disaster resilience at the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) and 14th Meeting of Conference of the Parties (COP) to the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), and their related meetings and events, which coincided with the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the AADMER.
The series of meetings and events took place on 13-17 October 2025, in Phnom Penh under the theme of Cambodia’s AMMDM Chairmanship this year “20 Years of AADMER: ASEAN’s Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience.” The ministerial meetings were chaired by Kitte Sangahak Bandith Kun Kim, Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions and First Vice-President of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Chairman of AMMDM.
The events celebrated two decades of progress while setting the stage for ASEAN’s next chapter in disaster management. Ministers-in-Charge of disaster management of the ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste, along with Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and representatives from Dialogue Partners, were granted an Audience with Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, held on the sidelines of the 13th AMMDM and 14th COP to the AADMER.
The 13th AMMDM and 14th Meeting of COP to AADMER on 15 October noted with satisfaction the significant progress in the implementation of the AADMER Work Programme 2021-2025.
In commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the AADMER, the meeting launched the ASEAN Ministerial Statement on the 20 Years of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response: ASEAN Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience, which underscores the remarkable progress achieved over the two decades while calling for a new strategic vision that addresses new and emerging challenges through stronger collaboration, partnerships, and innovation across all sectors and at all levels.
A major milestone of this week was the official launch of the AADMER Work Programme 2026–2030. This forward-looking key document is designed to strengthen ASEAN’s collective ability to address disaster and climate risks, promote gender equality, accessibility, and inclusion, and accelerate action for a sustainable and resilient future. The meeting reaffirmed commitment to ensuring its full and effective implementation of the AADMER Work Programme 2026-2030.
At the 5th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management Plus China, the 5th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management Plus Japan, and the 4th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management Plus Republic of Korea (ROK), both ASEAN and its partners reinforced a shared commitment to accelerating joint efforts in the face of an increasingly complex disaster risk landscape.
The Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Signing of the AADMER, the ASEAN Day on Disaster Management 2024, and International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction were also held as sideline events. The ministerial meetings were preceded by the 47th Meeting of ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), 23rd Meeting of the Governing Board of the AHA Centre, and the 8th Meeting of ASEAN Disaster Resilience Platform (ADRP).
The next AMMDM and Meeting of COP to AADMER will be hosted by Indonesia as the Chair of AMMDM in 2026.
