Press Releases
US and Sri Lanka Supporting Regional Cooperation to Address Humanitarian and Natural Disasters
Colombo, June 29, 2009: How can countries better communicate with each other to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the Asia-Pacific region? That was the topic of the recent Multinational Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP) conference--a five-day event co-sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) and the Government of Sri Lanka that was held 22-26 June in Colombo. During the conference, representatives from 12 nations met to strategize how governments can respond more effectively and more rapidly to humanitarian and natural disasters. The participants also made final preparations for an emergency response exercise that will take place this August in Hawaii and will involve all 22 countries that participate in the MCIP. The overall goals of the MCIP are to develop mutually agreed-upon guidelines and standards; foster relationships between partner nations; and identify current and future requirements for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
At the conference’s closing ceremony, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires James Moore commented: “To effectively respond to crises, it is essential to establish close working relationships between partner nations before the crises happen. On behalf of the U.S. Government, it’s been our privilege to work with the Government of Sri Lanka and all partner countries to support this critically important initiative.” Sri Lankan Army Director General of the General Staff Major General G.P.R. de Silva thanked the delegates of the 12 countries represented at the conference for their efforts. He also thanked the US government and the US Pacific Command for selecting Sri Lanka as the venue for the conference aimed at promoting regional cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Represented nations included Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.