PR-2105
March 11, 2021
Joint Statement on Partners in HADR: Awareness – Resilience – Action
Today marks the ten-year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 triple disaster in Fukushima, one of the most tragic events in our lifetime. As the disaster unfolded a decade ago, Taiwan and the United States came to Japan’s aid, making the most substantial contributions to the relief effort of any donor in the world. This anniversary is a time to reflect on what the world lost on that perilous day and its aftermath. It is also a time to reaffirm our dedication to humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness, both at home and in the international community.
To that end, the United States and Taiwan are embarking on a six-month series of activities – beginning with the 10th anniversary of the 3/11 triple disaster and ending with the 22nd anniversary of the 9/21 earthquake in Nantou – entitled “Partners in HADR: Awareness – Resilience – Action.”
These activities will expand our already robust cooperation in the HADR space, raise public and international awareness about Taiwan’s outsized role in HADR efforts and support activities that foster personal resilience within Taiwan’s communities. Beyond just U.S.-Taiwan cooperation, we will also work with Japan, the United Kingdom, and other partners through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) and other platforms to share our experience and expertise in the field of HADR, including the GCTF Workshop on Building the Resilience of
Nations and Communities to Disasters on March 10. (Please see attached factsheet for a partial list of planned activities.)
We often talk about the shared values that bind the United States and Taiwan: our political values, which include our dedication to rule of law and protection of human rights and basic freedoms; our economic values, which include our commitment to free markets, intellectual property rights, and abidance by international trade rules; and our international values, which include contributing to global problem-solving, generosity with foreign assistance and humanitarian relief, and striving to be a force for good in the world.
This series of events exemplifies our commitment to these international values at a time when, more than ever, our challenges are transnational in nature. The activities of the next six months will build upon our already rich history of generosity, cooperation, and expertise in the HADR.
Minister of Foreign Affairs American Institute in Taiwan
Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu Director Brent Christensen
Partners in HADR: Awareness – Resilience – Action
Calendar of Events
March 10 GCTF series launch: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters
(United State, Taiwan, Japan, UK)
March 11 AIT HADR small grant program launch
(United States)
March 17 Virtual Open Ceremony for HADR Capacity Building Workshop, Keynote Address by Director of the Center
for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance
(United States, Taiwan)
March 23-25 HADR Capacity Building Workshop
(United States, Taiwan’s NCDR)
March 27 “Be Prepared” resilience workshop
(United States, Forward Alliance)
May, June, July ”Disaster Resilience” webinar series on building resilience through public-private partnerships, emergency
preparedness, community-based disaster risk management, and capacity building.
(Taiwan, Japan)
August TBD Taiwan NCDR’s HADR report release
(Taiwan)
September 21 GCTF series closing: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters
(United State, Taiwan, Japan, UK)