At the Japan Platform 25th Anniversary Symposium held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Toshimi Nishizaki, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, highlighted A-PAD’s activities.

Nishizaki spoke of A-PAD as an example of how NGOs, businesses, and governments in the Asia-Pacific region are deepening collaboration across borders to provide disaster relief. 

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Established in 2012 and modeled after the Japan Platform, A-PAD facilitates rapid and effective emergency response through private-sector engagement in alliance countries in the Asia-Pacific region during large-scale natural disasters. 

Following the devastating Cebu earthquake in September 2025, A-PAD Philippines partnered with the Cebu municipal government, the Chamber of Commerce, and universities to execute food distribution. Similarly, in Sri Lanka, A-PAD continues to enhance regional resilience through strategic civil-military cooperation and disaster preparedness initiatives.

During the Myanmar earthquake last March, a Turkish rescue team operating in partnership with A-PAD successfully extracted two survivors. In November, A-PAD Sri Lanka’s search-and-rescue team saved 21 individuals during severe flooding. These operational experiences are systematically shared across the platforms to refine protocols and strengthen regional collaboration.

A-PAD will continue to improve disaster resilience in the Asia-Pacific region through collaboration with NGOs, companies, and governments.