BANGKOK, Thailand – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organize an event to commemorate the 20th year since the Indian Ocean Tsunami titled “20 Years On: Remembering the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami” at the Ministry. The event aims to bring together members of the diplomatic corps in Thailand, representatives from international organizations, relevant Thai agencies working on disaster management and disaster risk reduction, members of the civil society, the private sector, media, and youth to reflect on the significant loss that occurred on 26 December 2004 and to raise awareness about the importance of disaster preparedness in the Asia-Pacific region through enhanced early warning systems and strengthened regional cooperation.
The commemorative event also provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster, and Climate Preparedness role in strengthening regional multi-hazard early warning systems and reducing disaster risks in the Asia-Pacific region for the past 20 years, as well as Thailand’s role as a founding country of the Trust Fund in 2005 with the initial contribution of 10 million US Dollars. Since then, the Trust Fund has continued to receive contributions and support from countries in Asia and Europe.
The event will feature a panel discussion under the theme “Towards a More Resilient Asia-Pacific through Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems”, consisting of two sessions on “Post-Disaster Recovery, Lessons Learnt, and Experience Sharing” and “Towards Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems” where experts on disaster management will exchange views and share their insights.
The panel discussion will be followed by a remembrance ceremony of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the presentation of Thailand’s additional contribution to the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster, and Climate Preparedness.
A Disaster Resilience Exhibition will also be organized to showcase efforts in disaster risk reduction, innovations in disaster resilience, local communities’ role in disaster preparedness, as well as case studies and best practices in post-disaster recovery. Participating organizations include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Thai Red Cross Society, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), and the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster, and Climate Preparedness.
The live streaming of the panel discussion, remembrance ceremony and the presentation of Thailand’s additional contribution to the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster, and Climate Preparedness can be accessed from the Ministry’s Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMFA on 21 November 2024 from 15.30 hrs. – 18.00 hrs. The live stream will remain available after the event from the same channel. (MFA)
