On December 26th, 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake - one of the largest ever recorded - hit the shores of Indonesia. This deadly event swept away entire communities, took thousands of lives, and proved to the international community that there is still a long way to go when it comes to planning for natural disaster relief efforts and setting up effective warning systems. In the aftermath of the disaster, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called a special meeting to address what is widely known as the Boxing Day Tsunami. Founded in 1967 on the basis of forging and strengthening regional relations in order to spur economic growth, enhance social development, and maintain peace and security in Southeast Asia, ASEAN is primarily composed of ten Southeast Asian countries but frequently collaborates with other nations from the Asia Pacific and beyond. Non-interference is a fundamental principle of ASEAN. The debate will be centered around two essential aspects of disaster relief management. First, the planning of an appropriate immediate response to the crisis, based on Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. This topic will include talks of relieving local healthcare systems, as well as affected economies and infrastructures, through an efficient coordination of efforts from local and international actors. Second, the committee will tackle the development of an accessible disaster prevention and management framework, which will aim to find accessible and realistic solutions for the countries in the region based on the crisis at hand and the shortcomings of previous frameworks and systems in place. This topic will also discuss the development of a warning system, and will pave the way for efficient disaster relief in the future, accompanied by the appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure the efficiency of the system.

Email: asean2004@mcmun.org

Chair

Sarah Azzi

Vice-Chair

Mir Abdullah Rakib

Vice-Chair

Olivia Hallett