A consensus on coordination has been reached Saturday at a
two-day ministerial meeting on tsunami early warning arrangements
in Phuket, Thailand, which featured a competition among some
countries to host a regional system.?
A declaration by participants from 43 countries and regions and
14 international organizations has overcome the debate on the
location of the proposed regional system to highlight common
grounds of coordination in the broadest way.
Thailand, India and Indonesia have competed with each other in
having a regional warning center set up on their own soils ever
since the December 26 tsunami disaster that killed at least 280,000
people.
Thailand has succeeded in including in the declaration its
proposal of designating the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC) as a "focal point" in the multi-nodal
tsunami early warning arrangement in the region.
??
But Thailand's proposal suggests a warning system at
sub-regional, regional, national and international levels -- as an
apparent compromise designed to be acceptable to all countries.
Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai told reporters after
the conclusion of the meeting that focal points should be set up in
as many countries as possible, though "we need a focal point to
coordinate."
All countries and regions agreed to "cooperate towards the
establishment of interim early warning arrangements and
strengthening and upgrading of national systems, while moving
towards a coordinated regional system," the declaration read.
Delegates praised the holding of the meeting, which is a
continued effort by the international community to build an early
warning system for the region following a series of international
meetings.
UN special envoy Margareta Wahlstrom said that "since the system
has started in some countries, the meeting is a very good
opportunity to bring together all nations in the region so that
everyone can benefit from the system."
In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese delegate
pointed out that "participating countries have tried hard to reach
a consensus in demonstration of the spirit of coordination."
Another key development is the introduction of a Voluntary Trust
Fund on tsunami early warning arrangements in the Indian Ocean and
Southeast Asia, in which Thailand injects US$10 million as seed
fund.
The fund has drawn wide support from the participants, though
further financial contributions are expected in future, said
Surakiart.
The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening national
and regional capacities in providing public confidence against
tsunamis, particularly through technical assistance to developing
countries.??
Participants underlined the need that a regional early warning
system should be tailored to the specific circumstances and
requirements of the countries involved.
The declaration called for the need to "commence work
immediately," showing the consensus on the urgency in having a
warning system.
A core role of the UN in setting up the warning systems, both
regional and global, was also highlighted in the
declaration.?
In a meeting with Surakiart on the sidelines of the conference,
Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing expressed the Chinese government's support to
Thailand's efforts to host the meeting and its promotion of the
regional warning system.
China supports the UN to play a leading and coordinating role,
and the 10-member ASEAN to be the key player in the proposed
regional warning system, Li said.
??
After his meeting with Surakiart, Li toured and inspected the
tsunami-hit areas in Phangnga Province where 3,700 people were
killed, 5,000 others injured and 2,000 went missing in the December
26 tsunami disaster.
??
(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2005)