The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA)announced the start of the second batch of the AHA Centre Executive(ACE) Programme in Jakarta , Indonesia on February 22.

Sixteen disaster management officers from ASEAN Member States'National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) from Cambodia , Indonesia, Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Thailand , andVietnam are participating in the programme.

ASEANSecretary-General, Le Luong Minh reiterated the importance of the ACEProgramme, saying that through the Programme, ASEAN is enhancing thecapacity of NDMOs in the region by developing their skills andcompetencies and preparing them for future challenges.

The ACE Programme, which is a testament of intergovernmentalcooperation and that when it comes to disasters, the people come firstand by far, the most intensive disaster management training programme inthe region is designed to prepare 60 future leaders of disastermanagement in ASEAN.

It will run in three six-monthbatches until 2016, covering various disaster management and leadershiptopics, from hands-on experience working at the AHA to trainingcourses and workshops in various topics, as well as comparative studiesto disaster-affected areas in Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

In addition to support provided by the Government of Japan throughJapan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), the ACE Programme is also supportedby other organisations, including NDMOs of the ASEAN Member States, theASEAN Secretariat, the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, the UNOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN World FoodProgramme, the International Organisation for Migration, and theInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society.

The AHA was established in November, 2014 with its headquarterslocated in Jakarta . It aims to promote cooperation and coordinationamong the ASEAN member countries, UN agencies and internationalorganisations in disaster management.-VNA