The 24th ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief (ARF ISM on DR) was held virtually in April 2026, hosted by Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka and Viet Nam serving as co-chairs alongside Bangladesh.
Sri Lankan Co-Chair, Director General of the Southeast and Central Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Chamari Rodrigo, in her opening remarks, underscored the importance of strengthening national capacities, enhancing civil-military coordination, promoting regional cooperation mechanisms, and adopting sustainable approaches to disaster response. In her capacity as co-chair, she also moderated two Agenda Items.
The Sri Lanka delegation which comprised officials from the Disaster Management Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism delivered two presentations highlighting Sri Lanka’s experience during Cyclone Ditwah. The presentations focused on civil-military cooperation, national and international coordination, humanitarian assistance, and post-disaster recovery efforts. Sri Lanka also emphasized the importance of further strengthening disaster response arrangements within the ARF framework through enhanced coordination mechanisms and more flexible funding approaches.
The Meeting reviewed the ARF Work Plan on Disaster Relief 2024–2027 and discussed the proposed Manila Plan of Action 2026–2036, with particular emphasis on capacity-building, technological innovation, information-sharing, early warning systems, and enhanced regional cooperation in disaster management.
This was the third consecutive and the final Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief co-chaired by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Viet Nam.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & TourismColombo 01
20 May 2026
