PR-2325
September 22, 2023
2023 GCTF Workshop on International Humanitarian Rescue
On September 20-22, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Taiwan National Fire Agency (NFA), the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), and the Australian Office in Taipei (AO) hosted the “2023 Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Workshop on International Humanitarian Rescue.”
The concept of this GCTF workshop relates to Taiwan’s September 21 National Disaster Prevention Day, which is observed annually in memory of thousands of lives lost in Taiwan’s 9/21 Earthquake in 1999. On September 20 and 21, the group of international GCTF participants observed large-scale exercises and drills in Hsinchu, including disaster medical assistance by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, environmental accident demonstrations by the Ministry of Environment, integration and application of technology and communication by police, military and fire agencies, and demonstrations of local rescue teams and NGO civil rescue teams such as Taiwan Community Emergency Response Team (T-CERT).
On September 22, GCTF participants attended a workshop held at the National Fire Agency Training Center in Nantou to discuss disaster prevention, disaster management, and humanitarian assistance. Officials from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM), as well as scholars, experts, and civil society speakers from the United States, Taiwan, and Japan shared their experiences and best practices. This workshop included more than 55 international participants from 13 countries.
In line with the purpose of National Disaster Prevention Day, GCTF participants discussed their takeaways with the goal of applying what they’ve learned from the exercise observation and workshop to enhance their nations’ disaster prevention awareness and efficient response capabilities of the central and local authorities.
AIT, Taiwan MOFA, JTEA, and AO jointly administer the GCTF program, which is a capacity building platform for Taiwan to share its expertise in tackling issues of global concern.