The ASEAN Secretariat (Jakarta, Indonesia) is promoting the "ASEAN Cultural Heritage Digital Archive (ACHDA)" project, which aims at preserving and passing on ASEAN’s cultural heritage by digitizing and archiving them on an online archive site for public access.

Asahi Hasebe, who is the person in charge for sales said, “we thought NTTDATA’s digital archiving solution “AMLAD” can be applied to contribute to cultivating a sense of unity among the ASEAN Member States (AMS). We discussed with the ASEAN Secretariat through the Mission of Japan to ASEAN and were able to gain understanding of its significance. Under such circumstances, it was decided that this project would be implemented by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) contributed by the Government of Japan.”

The project was approved and started in June 2018. Out of the 10 AMS, it was discussed which country's cultural heritage should be digitized in the first phase, and NTTDATA continued to negotiate with the ASEAN Secretariat and the relevant cultural ministries of each country. As a result, it was decided to be Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Previously, the "AMLAD" project supported only image, audio and movie data such as documents and paintings. In addition to these heritage, ACHDA introduced a new trial, the digitalization of three-dimensional shaped objects such as Buddha statues and jewelry.

Kenichi Kawashima, Project Manager of ACHDA, felt the awe of dealing with the important cultural heritage, while acquiring data without contacting the object, the work was carried out with the utmost care in choosing the method that has the least impact on the heritage itself.

“Even though it was hard work, the staff in each country cooperated with tremendous amount of passion. Their zeal helped us out time and time again,” says Hasebe and Kawashima.

Digitization itself was completed at the end of 2019. Even after the new year, preparations for the release of ACHDA website continued until the ACHDA site was successfully released on 27 February 2020. Phases 2 and 3 are planned for the remaining 7 AMSs.

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The AHA Centre in collaboration with the Office of Civil Defense of the Philippines has been providing support to the ongoing operations brought by the effects of Covid-19 in the Philippines. The work has been done throughout March-May 2020.

From the DELSA satellite warehouse in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, the AHA Centre released 5,000 personal hygiene kits procured with the support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The 1,000 hygiene kits have been mobilised to Legazpi City in Alabay and 4,000 hygiene kits to Tacloban City in Leyte, to be distributed to different quarantine sites of local governments to support their Covid-19 response.

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The ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) is designed to support National Disaster Management Organisation (NDMO) of the affected country during the first phase of disaster emergency at a very short notice. Whenever a disaster occurs in Southeast Asian region, ASEAN-ERAT members are ready to be deployed within eight hours after the emergency alert is activated or based on the request of the NDMO of the affected country.

As of January 2020, 141 members of ASEAN-ERAT were deployed to 28 emergencies in 7 ASEAN countries. The Government of Japan through Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) has supported the effort of the AHA Centre to strengthen the capacity of the ASEAN-ERAT to fulfil its mandate.

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The ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Policy Meeting has been held since 2009 to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation of cybersecurity policies in Japan and ASEAN, and carry out cooperative activities to resolve common issues. Under this framework, cyber and desktop exercises have been continuously conducted with ASEAN member states since Fiscal Year 2013.

In addition, the Japan-ASEAN Integrated Fund (JAIF) contributed by the Japanese Government was used to establish the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, and by providing practical Cyber Defense Exercise with Recurrence (CYDER), etc., to cyber security officers of government agencies of AMS and important infrastructure operators, we are promoting cooperation in building cybersecurity capacity in ASEAN.

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On November 28, 2019, the journey of 18 AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme Batch 6 participants finally came to an end, recognised through a graduation ceremony at the AHA Centre’s office in Jakarta. The training comprising 23 courses, visited 5 countries, and was implemented throughout 5 months.

Sridewanto Pinuji, one of alumnae wrote their journey and shared what are the lessons learned, remarks, and messages from the closing ceremony of the AHA Centre Executive Programme Batch 6.

The ACE Programme is training for future leaders of national disaster management offices (NDMOs) in ASEAN countries conducted by the AHA Centre. The Programme is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

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