Brussels, 12/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 June, the EU and Burma/Myanmar inaugurated the National Crisis Management Centre in the Burmese capital Nay Pyi Taw. This EU-funded centre is under the authority of the president of Burma. Its goal is to support the capacity development of the national authorities to have an effective early warning mechanism to respond to crisis situations in the country. The European External Action Service (EEAS) was not able to state the amount of EU funding for the centre although, according to Asian media, the cost of building the centre was reportedly €300,000.
The establishment of the centre is also an “important milestone” in improving Burma's national crisis response system through capacity building and knowledge sharing, the EEAS states in a press release. The staff of the centre have taken part in two training programmes organised by the EU, and others should follow.
The National Crisis Management Centre will also operate as part of a regional project funded by the EU, aiming to foster the capacities of ASEAN and its member states in the area of early warning and responses to emergency situations by promoting the inter-connectivity of ASEAN member state crisis centres. The EU budget for crisis management for the whole ASEAN region is €2.7 million, coming from the instrument for stability. (CG)