On November 14, 2018, the 10th Asia Pacific Red Cross Conference at Makati Shangrila hotel, Manila was officially closed after 3 days of active discussions. The conference was participated by official delegates from 47 National Societies in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, observers from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Partnering National Societies from European and American countries, governments and corporate partners. Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, Vice President of the Vietnam Red Cross lead the Vietnamese Delegation to the conference.
Asia Pacific is a dynamic and diversified region, the home of around 5 billion people, accounting for 2/3 of the world population. Despite having many achievements in socio-economic development, the region has to face with many challenges, those include the impacts of climate change, extreme weather patterns, conflicts and newly emerging epidemic diseases as well as the increased surveillance of non-communicable diseases.
Addressing at the Conference, Mr. Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expressed his encouragement for the Red Cross Movement in the region. He highly appreciate the relevance of the Conference theme “Engaging local humanitarian actions in a fast-changing world”. The need for humanitarian assistance keeps increasing and becoming more diverse while at the same time the traditional donors are confronting with a lot of pressure from the stagnation even adverse development of the economy, the increased in-country challenges such as the aging population. Volunteers – the vital factor of the Movement – are decreasing in terms of number, with the increase in their average age. Youths are having less interest in volunteering for the Red Cross. The decline of trust in humanitarion actors also has negative impact to the Red Cross resource mobilization efforts. Technology innovations bring opportunities but also challenges from the digital gap and the preference for life online.
Vice President Tran Quoc Hung in the discussion to develop Southeast Asian sub-region roadmap
How the National Societies in particular and the Red Cross Movement in general could be able to attract people, remain relevant today and in the future, by addressing the current needs as well as keeping up with the changes and foreseeing the future needs of their communities? How the National Societies could strengthen their volunteer management and promote volunteering in modern society? – These are big questions not only to National Societies in the Asia Pacific but also to the Movement globally.
The outcomes of the Conference are important to shape the future of the International Movement as well as each National Society because its the high time for the review of Strategy 2020 and development of Strategy 2030, setting forth the vision of the Federation and the National Societies in the coming 10 years.
The Conference has been successfully closed with the Manila Declaration, as the collective will of the Asia-Pacific National Societies.
Hà Lan Anh