ASEAN builds disaster resilience through local leadership, supported by UN technical cooperation, with Malaysia championing inclusivity as 2025 chair
THIS year alone, two major earthquakes have struck the Asean region, affecting Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines killing almost 4,000 people.
When Typhoon Yagi struck in 2024, it swept across Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam impacting more than 7.5 million people. Across the region, disasters cause death and widespread displacement, damage infrastructure worth billions of dollars, destroy homes and croplands and disrupt livelihoods, with women and children bearing the brunt of the impact.
Climate change, urbanisation and conflict in the region are compounding risks and drawing back development gains. But there is hope: the countries of Asean are working together and with the United Nations to minimise the impact of disasters.
Malaysia as the 2025 Asean chair prioritised advancing policy and cooperation on disaster management with diverse stakeholders, highlighting at the start of its leadership role its commitment to drive an agenda on inclusivity and sustainability.
This theme reflects a goal that no one is left behind, that growth is equitable, that development is climate-aware and that Asean integrates both ecological and social dimensions.
In an economically diverse region with a varied risk exposure, achieving this ambition is a formidable challenge. The principles of inclusivity and sustainability in the humanitarian sector call for collective action towards a long-term vision that realises sustainable resilience, a concept formally adopted by Asean at the 2023 Asean Leaders’ Summit. This focuses on investment in risk mitigation and preparedness to not only protect life and property but also respond effectively to disasters.
When disasters strike in Southeast Asia, the first responders are no longer international agencies. They are national governments and local communities. The role of Asean is becoming increasingly prominent. This shift towards local leadership is not just a trend. It’s a transformation that is charting a new direction in humanitarian action and has been progressively happening in this region for the last two decades.
Asean is building a regional humanitarian system that is rooted in national and local leadership, supported by international partners, including the United Nations, in complementarity efforts. Asean is showing the way through nationally-led efforts that are honouring their obligation as primary responders to safeguard the welfare of their citizens in disaster situations.
Malaysia has a sophisticated national disaster response architecture through the National Disaster Management Agency. It has developed a local civil society network of actors and can draw on Islamic social financing, including zakat, a showcase for this national ownership. Malaysia’s leadership role as Asean chair should be further leveraged to continue advocating policy and implementation of key policies that contribute to building a resilient Asean.
Across Asean, the regional disaster response system is growing stronger. The Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response adopted in 2005 provides a legally binding framework for cooperation. The Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) is at the heart of this system, coordinating regional responses and building capacity with support from development partners and the UN.
The evolving role of the United Nations
As a result of Asean’s growing mandate and capacity in humanitarian action, the partnership between the region and the UN is evolving.
The focus is no longer on direct humanitarian delivery but on technical cooperation and capacity building in multiyear efforts that build knowledge, systems and confidence in national leadership.
This includes anticipatory action measures taken once a disaster is predicted but before it strikes. Emergency response is supported by the UN as contexts demand. This model of cooperation demonstrates how international actors can support, rather than lead national humanitarian efforts.
Asean brings proximity, political legitimacy and rapid access to affected member states and strong convening power.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) provides global tools, including the deployment of UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams, designed in this partnership to complement Asean Emergency Response and Assessment Teams deployments in a disaster.
Ocha also facilitates financing mechanisms that enable local actors to access resources and is able to engage diverse stakeholders, including in conflict-affected zones to enable humanitarian operations reaching all affected by crises.
To further support enhancing regional capabilities, the UN works closely with the AHA Centre on capacity-building efforts, drawing on long-tested international practices in disaster relief, including gender-responsive action, protection and civil-military collaboration.
The recently endorsed Asean Vision 2045 cements this direction, positioning Asean as a strategic enabler of connectivity, resilience, with an autonomous regional architecture anchored on strong partnerships.
The UN positions itself as a complimentary partner prioritising local leadership and capacities, moving from reaction to anticipatory action, aligning with national and regional disaster mechanisms and enhancing shared accountability.
The partnership reflects a broader shift towards a more politically aware, operationally realistic and ethically grounded humanitarian system, one that recognises the growing capacity of regional institutions and national governments, while ensuring that the UN remains a principled and agile partner.
Thandie Mwape serves as the liaison to Asean for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Comments: [email protected]
