Regional Consultative Group on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination for Asia and the Pacific: Third Session 2017 - Summary Report

RCG Background

The Asia-Pacific series of Conferences on Military Assistance to Disaster Relief Operations (APC-MADRO) that took place over a five-year period (2005-2010), were organised with the aim of developing collaborative Guidelines to assist the planning of foreign military assistance in support of disaster response operations in the Asia-Pacific region. At the end of this process, the Asia-Pacific Regional Guidelines for the Use of Foreign Military Assets in Natural Disaster Response Operations (APC Madro Guidelines) were finalized and endorsed.

Building upon the outcomes of the Asia-Pacific series of Conferences and related Guidelines, a multi-stakeholder Regional Consultative Group (RCG) on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination for Asia and the Pacific was formed in 2014 to act as a regional forum that brings together the humanitarian, civilian and military actors involved in disaster response preparedness planning and disaster response in the region. As outlined in the RCG Terms of Reference, the RCG was formed to: a) discuss response preparedness planning, with a focus on coordination of operational planning between civilian and military actors; b) facilitate exchange of information and innovative ideas to enable well-coordinated and needs-based effective disaster response to a broad range of humanitarian emergency operations; c) strengthen linkages with other relevant platforms with an emphasis on the relationship with Regional Organizations and the Global Consultative Group on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination. The chairmanship of the RCG is rotated among Member States on an annual basis.

The Second Session of the RCG took place on 11-12 October 2016 at the United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok, Thailand. The event was chaired by the Government of the Philippines and, continuing to build on the outcomes of the RCG First Session (2015), addressed key issues that are central to advancing the civil-military coordination agenda in Asia and the Pacific.