Source: Republic of China Taiwan
September 19, 2026
No. 448
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), and the National Fire Agency (NFA) have jointly established the World Alliance for Disaster Management (WADM). Following a comprehensive assessment, it was launched to proactively expand Taiwan’s international participation and leverage Taiwan’s long-standing expertise and practical experience in disaster prevention and response.
The WADM comprises 13 member states, 17 observers, and 11 partners. Moving forward, it will bolster cross-border cooperation on disaster prevention and response through joint training, joint exercises, joint operations, and information sharing, advancing integrated diplomacy and President Lai Ching-te’s directive to transform the NFA Training Center in Zhushan Township, Nantou County, into a major disaster prevention training base in the Indo-Pacific.
The WADM founding ceremony was held on September 19 in Taipei, and the inaugural assembly will take place from September 19 to 21. A total of 91 guests from 21 countries are attending. Palau Vice President Raynold Oilouch and Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla are personally leading delegations to participate, fully demonstrating the importance that they attach to the establishment of the WADM and their staunch support for Taiwan.
The WADM founding ceremony and the opening ceremonies of the Resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum and the International Disaster Education and Action (IDEA) Forum were held as a joint event on the morning of September 19.
President Lai presided over the event, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang. In his remarks, President Lai affirmed that the establishment of the WADM represented a major breakthrough for Taiwan after over half a century of efforts to take part in international organizations. He expressed hope that the WADM would harness Taiwan’s strengths in disaster prevention and response and technological applications to deepen international cooperation, making Taiwan a key cross-border hub for disaster prevention and response coordination.
Minister Lin and Minister Liu jointly hosted a welcome dinner on September 18 for the foreign delegations attending the event. Minister Lin said that disasters knew no borders and that, in the face of climate change and other common compound challenges, countries could only improve disaster resilience and response capabilities by working together. He stated that Taiwan had decades of practical experience in disaster prevention and management and that it continued to learn from experience, adapt, and refine its capabilities. He noted that while Taiwan was steadily bolstering resilience against disasters and risks, it was also sharing its expertise with global partners through international exchanges and cooperation.
Minister Lin added that he had been directly involved in disaster response and emergency coordination. He mentioned that he had witnessed firsthand the enhancement of Taiwan’s disaster response capabilities and appreciated the importance of relevant agencies building close ties with global partners through exchanges and mutual support. He pointed out that the establishment of the WADM exemplified Taiwan’s policies of integrated diplomacy and value-added diplomacy. He emphasized that Taiwan would capitalize on its advantages in artificial intelligence, satellite applications, unmanned vehicles, communications technology, and smart manufacturing to collaborate with international partners and jointly elevate global disaster management capabilities.
Minister Liu highlighted Taiwan’s extensive experience in disaster resilience and emergency response, noting that Taiwan was located in the heart of the Asia-Pacific, where extreme weather and compound disasters frequently occur. She said that Taiwan had long faced threats posed by such disasters as typhoons, earthquakes, torrential rain, and landslides and that it was committed to increasing its warning, response, and recovery capabilities. She also observed that Taiwan conducted unscripted and semi-announced drills every September 21, which is National Disaster Prevention Day. This year, search and rescue and medical teams from 11 countries had traveled to Taiwan to participate in the drills and engage in exchanges. Minister Liu added that, moving forward, Taiwan would continue to strengthen international collaboration, share expertise, conduct joint training, and assist global partners to enhance comprehensive resilience against disaster and climate risks. Minister Lin and Minister Liu both thanked the participating countries for supporting the establishment of the WADM and working to jointly boost disaster resilience.
In addition, Vice President Oilouch and Deputy Prime Minister Dladla delivered remarks. Vice President Oilouch stated that Taiwan and Palau had coordinated closely across domains during the Pacific Islands Forum, firmly supporting each other and fully demonstrating the solid and cordial ties between the two countries. He also sincerely thanked Taiwan for extending a helping hand to Palau in times of need.
Vice President Oilouch explained that given the potential impacts of extreme weather, Palau was proactively planning response measures and was honored to be a founding member of the WADM. He anticipated that the alliance would provide resources and support for future global disaster management and expressed confidence that it would help Palau respond to severe droughts by facilitating professional cooperation and sharing best practices.
Deputy Prime Minister Dladla proposed three guiding principles for the WADM’s future work in her speech—namely inclusive disaster preparedness, people-centered technological development, and solidarity through concrete action. She underscored that the establishment of the WADM opened a new chapter in global disaster risk collaboration, pointing out that no country could face the challenges alone and that every country could contribute to global disaster management cooperation. She added that Taiwan had proven through experience that steadfast leadership, robust systems, advanced technology, thorough preparedness, and rigorous coordination could reduce the loss of life and property.
During the delegations’ stay in Taiwan, they will visit the NFA Training Center to deepen their understanding of Taiwan’s strong capabilities in disaster preparedness, disaster response, and professional training. The center is the largest compound disaster training base in Asia and the third-largest worldwide. Under the WADM framework, it will provide disaster prevention training and assistance to member nations as it steadily develops into a major disaster training hub in the Asia-Pacific.
The WADM is the first intergovernmental organization initiated and established by Taiwan. It is also the third intergovernmental organization headquartered in Taiwan—following the founding of the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region in 1970 and the World Vegetable Center in 1971—highlighting its significance.
Taiwan will continue to uphold the spirit of Taiwan can help and Taiwan can lead, leveraging its strengths in disaster prevention and response and working hand in hand with the international community to jointly elevate global disaster resilience and ensure that no one is left behind. (E)