On April 23, 2026, in conjunction with the A-PAD Board meeting held in Tokyo, the board members and advisors visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with Takao Imafuku, Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau. Following their visit, a debriefing session was held with the NGO Cooperation Division. The meeting participants discussed the activities in each country. At the closing of the meeting, Toshimi Nishizaki, Deputy Director-General, delivered a closing address.

A-PAD highlighted its cross-border, multi-sectoral collaboration efforts for rapid response during disasters, and the strategic importance of its network in the Asian region in light of recent international developments. They also touched upon the effect of public-private partnerships implemented in each country and indicated its intention to further strengthen cooperation through their networks.

In response, Director-General Imafuku stated that the concept of co-creation with diverse partners is one of the important elements of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Charter, and expressed his hope that Asian countries, facing common challenges, would work together to create practical solutions through frameworks like A-PAD.

At the subsequent reporting meeting, the NGO Cooperation Division discussed its appreciation for the ongoing partnership with A-PAD and acknowledged that direct dialogues with platform representatives from each country are a valuable opportunity for understanding the realities on the ground.

A-PAD shared its steady results since the establishment and explained the need to continue their efforts and strengthen the partnership, given the high disaster risk in the East and South Asia regions. 

Representatives from each country shared their disaster response and risk mitigation efforts based on multi-sectoral partnerships. In particular, they highlighted initiatives such as mobilizing additional support using initial funding, building community-led systems, strengthening collaboration with the private sector, and efforts in the health and human resource development fields. 

In closing remarks, Deputy Director-General Nishizaki welcomed the A-PAD delegation and expressed high praise for their swift and effective assistance, including life-saving operations during disasters in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, utilizing networks established during non-emergency times.

She also commended A-PAD’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan Fire Service, noting the importance of private sector involvement and multi-stakeholder cooperation amidst ODA budget cuts to sustain future development.