Cambodia Hosts 13th ASEAN Disaster Meeting, Urges Stronger Regional Resilience

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Oct.16, 2025) — Cambodia’s Senior Minister Kun Kim on Wednesday called on ASEAN member states to strengthen regional disaster resilience, warning that Southeast Asia remains highly vulnerable to a wide range of natural hazards.

Speaking at the opening of the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), Kun Kim said the region continues to face frequent and severe disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, droughts, and tropical storms.

“To reduce loss of life and property caused by disasters, ASEAN member states have been working tirelessly through comprehensive approaches—prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response,” Kun Kim said during the ceremony in Phnom Penh.

The meeting also marked the 14th Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) and related sessions. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet presided over the event in his capacity as chair of the country’s National Committee for Disaster Management.

Kun Kim said Cambodia, as 2025 chair of AMMDM and AADMER COP, is committed to advancing effective disaster governance under the “visionary leadership” of Hun Manet.

He highlighted Cambodia’s efforts to strengthen disaster response mechanisms from the national level down to local communities, integrating risk reduction into development planning.

“This year’s meetings offer a critical opportunity for ASEAN to reflect on two decades of progress, deepen regional cooperation, and reaffirm our shared commitment to resilience,” he said.

The 2025 theme, “20th Anniversary of the AADMER: ASEAN Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience,” underscores the bloc’s ambition to lead globally on disaster preparedness and response.