Engagement with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Southeast Asia

Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Statement

20 November 2017

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – comprised of 190 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – reaffirms its collective commitment to the alleviation of human suffering in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters, and other related challenges in the ASEAN region.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the ASEAN Region, as auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field remain solid vital partners with IFRC and ICRC support in preparing for, responding to and mitigating the impact of the various humanitarian challenges the region may face. The wider Movement actively continues to collectively support the further scale up of this domestic humanitarian response, through its well established international mechanisms.

The Movement gratefully welcomes the statement of the ASEAN Secretary General on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Association and the 31st ASEAN Summit hosted by the Philippines on the 10th – 14th of November under the rallying call of 'Partnering for Change, Engaging the World'. It is also great satisfaction to see this statement emphasized by the Chairman of the Summit in its final statement.

The continued commitment towards a people-orientated ASEAN Community, respecting fundamental humanitarian principles, demonstrates a vision very much shared by the Movement, with its strong foundation on local volunteers and adherence to the Fundamental Principles of Humanity, Independence, Neutrality, Impartiality, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.

The Movement embraces the critical importance of further enhancing partnerships and joint engagement as promoted by the 31st ASEAN Summit and important initiatives such as One ASEAN, One Response. Building on these regional synergies towards the ASEAN vision of building a safer and disaster resilient region, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement commits to support making this vision a reality.