ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management ("SPDDM") 2026 - Opening Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs

Good morning everyone.

Your Excellency Mr. San Lwin,

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community,

Your Excellency Ms. Ambra Dickie,

Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN,

Your Excellency Mr. Sujiro Seam,

Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN

Your Excellency Ms. Joanna Anderson,

Ambassador of New Zealand to ASEAN,

The various Heads of the National Disaster Management Organisations of the ASEAN Member States, 

And to many Distinguished Guests here this morning,

Introduction

1. I am honoured and also very delighted to welcome you to Singapore for the 11^th edition of the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management, or SPDDM.

2. Let me first begin by extending my sincere condolences to the Republic of Indonesia, who experienced a 7.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Flores Island just a few days ago, and you heard Dr Raditya speak about it earlier, and we join Dr Raditya in extending our condolences to the people who have suffered from this disaster. We also extend our sincere condolences to the Republic of the Philippines, currently experiencing the compound effect of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and the southwest monsoons.

3. In as much as these are disasters which we feel deeply for, I think this itself gives us a reason and underscores the reasons why we are here, and why a dialogue like this is just so important. As we bring ideas together, we bring best practices together, and we share in a collaborative, generous spirit how we can, as one ASEAN, work together, not just to think about ideas but  to implement them for the benefit of our people right across ASEAN.

4. Indeed, both Indonesia and the Philippines have responded swiftly. Indonesia has deployed humanitarian logistics and established temporary shelters. Likewise, the Philippines has deployed relief kits to affected areas and has continuously issued warnings to keep the public informed of anticipated risks. The decisiveness in providing assistance to affected communities reflects both nations’ readiness to respond.

5. As the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, Indonesia has shown exemplary leadership over the past year, and I am confident that they will both be able to bounce back with characteristic resilience.

A Decade of Progress: The One ASEAN, One Response Legacy

6. This year, we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the One ASEAN One Response declaration. As you heard earlier, the declaration was not merely a formal statement; it represented a pivotal moment that fundamentally transformed the way we, as a region, approach disaster management.

7. The declaration sets out a very clear ambition to increase the speed, scale and the solidarity of ASEAN’s response to any disaster. It recognised that effective disaster response cannot rest on any single institution or mechanism alone. Consequently, the declaration calls for a comprehensive mobilisation of ASEAN’s resources, relevant sectors and stakeholders, extending beyond the confines of ASEAN’s own institutions.

8. Over this past decade, ASEAN’s capabilities for disaster management have grown significantly.

9. Yet, even as we have strengthened our capabilities, the challenges we face have also grown – they in fact, intensified. Natural disasters have worsened in both scale as well as frequency, and in many ways also its unpredictability. In 2025 alone, we witnessed the devastating impact of multiple disasters across our region.

10. The earthquake that struck Mandalay in Myanmar was one of the deadliest disasters of the year, with its impact extending beyond borders to also affect Thailand and Vietnam as well.

11. Cyclone Senyar brought widespread devastation across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

12. Further from home and much more recently, two major earthquakes struck Venezuela in June this year, amongst the most devastating natural disasters the country has ever experienced.

13. Earlier this year, the World Meteorological Organisation warned of a ‘Super El Nino’ that would amplify the impacts of climate change on many fronts, multiple fronts.

14. In regions like Europe, we have witnessed for ourselves severe heatwaves in recent months that surpassed temperature records, while causing at the same time also, many fatalities.

15. For Southeast Asia, this could mean more severe heatwaves and droughts with serious consequences on our population, on food security, and also public health.

16. These events remind us that natural disasters do not at all respect national boundaries, national borders – they are regional challenges that demand regional solutions. They affect one and all, and don’t respect the boundaries.

Building on ASEAN’s Strong Foundations and Future-Proofing Our Disaster Management Mechanisms

17. Since the One ASEAN, One Response declaration, ASEAN has actively built national as well as regional capacities through training, cross-learning, and I think importantly, partnerships with organisations that share our commitment to building resilient communities.

18. 2025 was especially significant for our collective efforts. First, it was the 20^th anniversary of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, or AADMER, and its Work Programme for 2026 to 2030 was launched to chart its path forward.

19. Moreover, our responses to regional disasters demonstrated the strength of our mechanisms. Sometimes you can have mechanisms, but it’s really how you make of it, how you implement it, how you use it when disasters strike that measures the efficacy of the responses.

20. We deployed our largest-ever Emergency Response and Assessment Team, or ASEAN-ERAT, in response to the Myanmar earthquake. A testament to what we have built over many years.

21. ASEAN-ERAT teams are rapidly deployable and consist of trained disaster management professionals from various ASEAN Member States.

22. They are skilled in rapid needs assessment, information management, as well as humanitarian logistics.

23. The Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN, or DELSA, disbursed over US 1 million dollars in relief items such as relief kits and emergency shelters, to various communities affected by tropical storms and floods.

24. Finally, concrete steps were taken to reinforce cross-sectoral collaboration during disasters.

25. The ASEAN Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Operations, or SASOP, has been updated to include directives on civil-military coordination as well as Emergency Medical Teams.

26. The SASOP sets out the procedures that guide how each of our Member States and the AHA Centre coordinate responses when responding to disasters – how we coordinate our resources, how we look at the teams, the manpower, the personnel, the SOP, when we respond to disasters

27. The update will enhance the integration of key stakeholders and first responders to ensure that the collective response to any disaster is fast, is coordinated and is also coherent.

28. The refreshed SASOP is much more than just a document. It is a living blueprint for an integrated, cross‑sectoral disaster response. This update lays the groundwork for a future where ASEAN can then react quickly in a coordinated fashion to any calamity, and also with speed, the unity, and with the strength of professionalism right across the team that our peoples deserve.

Capacity Building Initiatives and Partnerships Beyond ASEAN

29. At the heart of any effective disaster response are the experts who are ready to react when it matters most.

30. To that end, ASEAN organised various specialist courses to build a pipeline of skilled disaster management professionals across the region.

31. I am very pleased to note that almost 60 officers completed various ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 specialist courses, which cover areas such as information management as well as humanitarian logistics.

32. A new Level 2 course on post-disaster needs assessment has recently been inaugurated. It will support ASEAN’s goal of enhancing post-disaster recovery efforts.  

33. And in many ways, what we do following a disaster, following the calamity, is as important, as we manage the community. We bring assistance, and I think importantly, we bring stability to the social compact.

34. Furthermore, around 45 officers completed junior and middle-level leadership courses run by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, or the AHA Centre. We expect to see more than 130 graduates across all levels by July 2028.

35. We are committed to ensuring that when a crisis strikes, critical supplies reach those in need swiftly. Therefore, we are also streamlining DELSA processes to strengthen cross-border coordination in the delivery of relief items to those in need.

36. We want to have every ASEAN Member State onboard and we will support Timor Leste’s alignment into our response systems, which is a timely, as well as I believe, a significant move since their accession.

37. Because of the transboundary nature and impact of many natural disasters, we recognise that maintaining effective disaster management protocols will require all of us to be prepared – look outward. The collective strength of many countries is always greater than the sum of our parts, if we come together and we work together

38. By deepening our partnerships beyond ASEAN, we open ourselves to new expertise, new ideas, new resources, just new ways of thinking that helps to broaden our horizons, and expand our depths of knowledge, and this collectively can make us more resilient together.

39. To that end, we have been engaging the broader international community. More than 40 international and regional partners had reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN’s goal of enhancing regional resilience at the AADMER Partnership Conference in April this year, as well as expressed their support to implement the AADMER Work Programme 2026 to 2030.

40. The AHA Centre has also signed various Memoranda of Intent (MOI) with global partners. One such partner was the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility, or SEADRIF.

41. The MOI covered the piloting of disaster risk financing mechanisms to enhance emergency response coordination. The MOI was established following SEADRIF’s participation as a panellist at last year’s SPDDM, which itself tells you, how much of a testament this is, to the connections and the networks that a platform like this can build, and we look forward to much more of this networking and coordination building at SPDDM.

42. I am also pleased to welcome to this year’s SPDDM, speakers and panellists from various global organisations, such as The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, The Pacific Islands Forum, as well as The African Union

43. Their participation will enable us to facilitate a deeper, mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise with one another, and also to be able to do what what I said earlier: build stronger networks across different continents We might be further away from each other, but we face the same climate challenges, we face the same disaster response challenges, and we face the same capacity building training issues. So I think an exchange of ideas, sharing of best practices would be extremely beneficial mutually.

44. Finally, in accordance with the One ASEAN, One Response declaration, ASEAN is conducting a feasibility study to explore its potential role in humanitarian response beyond the region.

45. I must say this is really an exciting step forward, one that reflects ASEAN’s hope of being a collective force for good when natural disasters strike and we look forward to what this study may unlock.

Strengthening One ASEAN, One Response

46. Let me reiterate and go back to the point I had made earlier, about how disasters know and respect no boundaries, no borders, and I think this is what makes the ASEAN solidarity, as well as our commitment to collective action so important, critical.

47. In 2027, Singapore will take up the ASEAN Chairmanship, and we intend to deepen ASEAN’s collective preparedness and resilience on several fronts.

48. Let me just quickly outline them for you here this morning.

49. First, Singapore will host the 10th ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise, or ARDEX-27.

50. The exercise will test as well as validate regional disaster response procedures as well as cross-sectoral coordination, reflecting ASEAN’s recognition that effective disaster response requires all stakeholders to operate in concert, to work with one another, to be plugged in, and to be seamless in the way in which we deliver care and services. to This helps us close any existing gaps, and overall, lift and strengthen the overall system.

51. I hope that all Member States will participate actively with us in ARDEX-27 and maximise the opportunity to strengthen response protocols.

52. Additionally, we will also continue to support and advance ASEAN’s climate as well as environmental agenda.

53. As climate change continues to intensify the frequency and severity of natural disasters across our region and elsewhere in the world, building resilience and depth is no longer optional. In fact, I believe it is an imperative – it is a must do.

54. Singapore has designated 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation and is developing a National Adaptation Plan, underpinned by a $40 million commitment to heat-resilience research and development. This helps us to create a climate-ready nation, and we look forward to working with all Member States on this critical area, which really is a shared challenge – one that necessitates a shared response.

55. Beyond preparedness, collective action is also essential in guiding ASEAN’s collective mission. Acting before a disaster strike reduce the humanitarian as well as economic toll, sparing communities the trauma of loss that no amount of relief can fully undo. We have to go further upstream, and work together before a disaster occurs.

56. Last year's SPDDM touched on disaster risk insurance as one pillar of institutionalising disaster mitigation. This year, we have curated the program to dive deeper into more upstream measures, such as pre-planning anticipatory action, risk information systems, as well as critically, early warning mechanisms.

57. We must move beyond reactive response alone, and embed anticipatory thinking into the foundations, into the very core, of our approach to disaster management.

58. I believe that ASEAN is well-placed to build on its strong foundations to advance the implementation of One ASEAN, One Response initiatives, and eventually extend our collective capabilities to the broader international community.

Conclusion

59. Over the past decade, the SPDDM has brought together diverse perspectives from across ASEAN and beyond, creating the conditions and the environment for a very frank and constructive exchange, as well as a deeper cross-pollination of ideas that we share with one another. This rarely happens within the confines of our own individual organisations and countries alone

60. I am therefore encouraged to see such a wonderful participation and attendance this morning. I encourage all of you to share openly – not just about your respective successes and your experiences in your countries, but also what you see as upcoming challenges, where you think the areas for growth might be for you, and how that can percolate down to the rest of ASEAN member states. All of this, as you build your network, you strengthen the collaboration over the next two days. I hope to see that beyond the formal sessions, there will also be stronger networking sessions as we build relations across ASEAN and beyond.

61. And by doing this, I believe that we will be able to ensure that the discussions will generate practical recommendations to strengthen ASEAN’s disaster management ecosystem. You know, if you can build those relations, when we go back after two days here, and you have the ability to pick up the phone and call someone from across ASEAN and even beyond to seek assistance, to just tap into ideas – this is going to be so useful. I encourage you to go beyond formal sessions, engage with one another at the breakout sessions, at the coffee sessions, and over the more informal occasions.

62. As I conclude, let me say a few words of thanks. My sincere thanks go to the co-organisers: the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the ASEAN Secretariat, the AHA Centre, and to all our sponsors and all of you, our participants.

63. Your continued support of SPDDM underscores the importance of this platform and has also contributed to thought-provoking dialogues that we see. These have helped to shape our regional approach to disaster management.

64. As I’ve explained earlier, the sessions we have at SPDDM often become implementable measures that we carry through, right across ASEAN. The impact of these contributions has extended far beyond the conference alone. It has shaped policies, it has designed protocols, and it has implemented practices. All of these have made a tangible difference to our communities when disasters strike.

65. I am thus confident in ASEAN's collective commitment to maintaining a resilient, responsive, as well as a future-ready disaster management response system – one that grows stronger with every challenge. Every challenge we face, every lesson we learn together, every protocol we redesign because we want to meet the challenges in a better form, better fashion.

66. All of these collectively helps us to be resilient and strengthen that One ASEAN, One Response protocol. It is not just a declaration – it is a deep, deep commitment in which we live by in the face of natural disasters.

67. On that note, I wish all of you a really fruitful two days here. I thank you for your participation and your attendance here. And once again, I warmly welcome you to Singapore. Thank you very much.