Representatives from various government agencies across the Pacific have convened in Nadi to explore the potential of the Automated System for Relief Emergency Consignments (ASYREC) for coordinating and expediting international humanitarian relief efforts during crises.
The week-long workshop will involve over 45 representatives from Ministries of Trade, Customs, National Disaster Management Offices, and Trade Facilitation Committees from 14 Pacific nations.
ASYREC, developed by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), is a comprehensive digital system designed to facilitate the efficient coordination and management of international humanitarian assistance.
In his address to participants, Mr. Dirk Wagener, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Fiji, emphasized the critical importance of implementing such a system throughout the Pacific region, where nations face increasing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.
Mr. Wagener said that the workshop was invaluable, noting that it is important to "stay on top of our emergency response skills and keep them fresh and sharp for if and when we will need them."
He remarked that, "it is a sad fact that living in the Pacific region, this is more likely to be a 'when' rather than an 'if'," underscoring the urgent need for preparedness and a coordinated approach to ensure the prompt delivery of humanitarian assistance in life-threatening emergencies.
The system also provides customs with accurate data regarding incoming relief consignments and enables information sharing with other responsible national authorities and international actors supporting emergency logistics.
Throughout the week, participants will engage in an immersive learning experience to better understand how ASYREC works, which includes a three-day simulation exercise to witness how the system could help them in a real-life disaster.
Mr. Wagener stated, "It is through exercises such as these that we can identify the difficult to predict issues and prepare as best as possible for humanitarian emergencies themselves."
Natural disasters or complex emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, often result in delays to the delivery of relief goods due to poor coordination and intricate customs procedures, adversely affecting populations in need.
ASYREC aims to expedite customs processes for humanitarian relief by integrating emergency consignment information with the UN Trade and Development's Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), now used by 15 Pacific countries to manage customs operations.
The turnout at the workshop demonstrates the strong desire of Pacific countries to improve their emergency response to effectively tackle future crisis.
In the Pacific, Vanuatu became the first country to install ASYREC in 2023.
