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ASEAN: Mobilize AHA Center, all partners for COVID-19
The number of people infected with COVID-19 has nearly exceeded 2 million people worldwide, with a death toll of over 146,000 according to worldometers
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he number of people infected with COVID-19 has nearly exceeded 2 million people worldwide, with a death toll of over 146,000 according to worldometers.com on April 15. Most Southeast Asian nations have also been affected, with Indonesia having the highest death toll of over 530, and more than 6,200 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
As some 20,000 in the region were affected and almost 1,000 were confirmed to have died of the virus, on April 14 ASEAN member states held a special summit on COVID-19 via teleconference. They sought to ensure the free movement of goods and also an effective regional supply for hazmat suits for health workers, health kits, pharmaceuticals and foods during the pandemic.
Also on April 14, ASEAN and three external partners (Japan, South Korea and China) had a special online summit. The ASEAN Plus Three have agreed to ensure the flow of commodities, food and medical supplies to tackle trade barriers for health kits, agricultural products and food along their borders and to mitigate any socioeconomic impacts on their citizens within Southeast Asia and East Asia.
ASEAN’s obvious vehicle for collaboration is its own ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), which is almost a decade old. Therefore, following the summit, the first concrete measure would be for ASEAN to belatedly task the AHA Center to monitor the developments of the pandemic in the region and effectively channel all donation and resources apart from assisting member states with crisis management. While most countries have looked to their own resources so far, the AHA Center together with member states could better develop health interventions.
Second, following the special summit with the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea, collaboration is needed for the better fulfillment of health kits, essential medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, laboratory diagnoses, treatment of cases, containment strategies and innovation of drugs and vaccines for COVID-19.
Additionally, ASEAN can improve relations between the regional association and the United Nations, particularly the World Health Organization, for a more effective response to the global pandemic.
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ASEAN together with China, Japan and South Korea can exchange information, best practices and methods for the treatment of infected people.
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To better curb the spread of the virus and survive the pandemic, ASEAN member states and its external partners could activate existing political, economic and social cooperation. For example, ASEAN together with China, Japan and South Korea can exchange information, best practices and methods for the treatment of infected people.
Additionally, ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea should optimize their multilateral funding cooperation initially born out of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and later the global financial crisis of 2009, the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization agreement, as also encouraged by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, and also plurilateral financial swaps to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of a looming economic recession and to prevent social unrest.
The initial result of ASEAN’s latest summit is the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund based on such existing arrangements, to at least overcome the current scarcity of medical supplies.
The overall challenge for ASEAN is how member states improve solidarity and preserve unity during these unprecedented times.
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Political and economic analyst on global affairs at the University of Indonesia (UI)
