Senior officials and partners gathered at the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management (SPDDM) 2025 in Singapore to discuss innovation, technology, and inclusivity in building regional resilience
SINGAPORE – The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, took part in the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management (SPDDM) 2025, held on 18 August at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Singapore. The annual dialogue brought together policymakers, partners, and experts to strengthen regional cooperation in disaster management.
Dr Kao delivered opening remarks alongside Singapore’s Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Edwin Tong; Ma Norith, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Committee for Disaster Management of Cambodia and representative of the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM); and Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN.
In his keynote address on the “Post-2025 Vision for ASEAN’s Resilience: A Perspective”, Dr Kao emphasised the critical role of harnessing innovation and advanced technologies across the disaster management cycle. He underlined that strong partnerships and inclusivity must remain at the heart of ASEAN’s efforts to ensure preparedness, response, and recovery in the face of disasters.
The SPDDM 2025 served as a platform for dialogue on the region’s shared priorities, building on ASEAN’s collective experiences in disaster response and resilience-building, while reaffirming the importance of collaboration with partners such as the European Union.
Source: ASEAN
