Hawaii, Dec 8 (IANS) Underscoring the Quad’s commitment to reliable and effective life saving support for the people of the region, officials from India, Australia, Japan, and United States discussed strengthening the grouping’s disaster-response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific during the recently-held 4th Annual Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Strategic Meeting and Tabletop Exercise in Hawaii’s Honolulu.
“As a founding pillar of the Quad partnership, HADR is a cornerstone of the group’s efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific,” read a Joint Statement issued after the annual meeting hosted by the United States from December 2-5.
“The Quad’s coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar in March this year was a testament to the Quad’s ability to mobilize resources and rapidly deliver life-saving assistance,” it added.
The Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific partnership was announced by the Quad Leaders in Tokyo on May 24, 2022, as part of a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.
A few months later, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the Secretary of State of the United States met in New York in September 2022 and signed into operation the Guidelines for the Quad HADR Partnership.
The signing of the Guidelines marked a significant moment in Quad cooperation, which traces its origin from the 2004 ad hoc Tsunami Core Group which catalyzed international response efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami that devastated many countries in the region.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the partnership has been designed to respond to the vulnerabilities of the Indo-Pacific region and serves as a dedicated framework for Quad partners to coordinate their disaster response operations in the region. The mechanism augments their capacity and capability, interoperability and operational synergy to undertake HADR operations.
“A request for international assistance is needed before Quad partners may act in coordination under the Partnership. Quad partners may provide joint or coordinated individual assistance in crisis preparation or alert, crisis-response or post crisis review phases of disaster response. Any humanitarian action will be carried out with respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of the affected state,” the MEA has detailed before.
–IANS
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