The 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief was held in Colombo recently, hosted by Sri Lanka and co-chaired by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, and attended by over 50 participants from 27 ARF member countries.

Sri Lanka, as Co-chair, underscored the importance of a coordinated and well-prepared response in providing disaster relief and the importance of disaster response planning and implementation to minimize impact and ensure sustainable recovery, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism.

As this Forum coincided with ‘World Environment Day,’ Sri Lanka’s commitment to adhere to sustainable environment protection practices, national policies, and initiatives to strengthen disaster relief mechanisms were highlighted.

Sri Lanka’s experience on the recent humanitarian assistance mission to Myanmar following the earthquake by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces was shared with the participants by the Head of the ‘Sri Lankan HARD Contingent.’

The Sri Lanka delegation was led by Chamari Rodrigo, Director General, South East Asia and Central Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, with the participation of senior officials from the Disaster Management Centre and the Ministry of Defence, the statement said.

The discussions at the meeting focused on the exchange of best practices, enhancing capacity-building mechanisms, regional and international collaboration, and strengthening civil-military coordination in disaster relief efforts.

A panel discussion by youth representatives at the Forum provided new perspectives in preparing for the future, underscoring the nexus between sustainable environment protection strategies and disaster relief.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the ARF Work Plan for Disaster Relief 2024–2027 and the Hanoi Plan of Action II, the ministry stated.

The meeting was preceded by a reception hosted by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Aruni Ranaraja, to welcome the delegates from ARF member states on 04 June 2025, which included cultural performances by the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The ARF is an ASEAN-led mechanism for security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region and provides a forum to foster constructive dialogue and consultation towards promoting confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy in the region.

Sri Lanka has been a member of the ARF since 2007 and currently co-chairs the Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief, it added.