ASEAN Defense Diplomacy Through AHA Centre as an Effort for Humanitarian Assistance

Abstract

This research analyzes ASEAN defense diplomacy through the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) in response to humanitarian assistance. ASEAN plays an important role in dealing with natural disasters in Southeast Asia, so it is necessary to increase coordination and disaster response through effective mechanisms. The research method involves observation and literature study by focus on assessing the involvement of ASEAN member countries in humanitarian aid operations coordinated by the AHA Centre, and analyzes official documents, reports, scientific articles, and publications related to defense diplomacy and disaster management in ASEAN. The research stages include identifying the role and function of the AHA Centre, analyzing disaster response cases, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of coordination and cooperation between ASEAN member countries. The research results show that defense diplomacy in ASEAN has successfully strengthened cooperation and solidarity among member states through various mechanisms such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus. The AHA Centre has also demonstrated its role in enhancing preparedness and response to disasters through programs such as ASEAN-ERAT and the ACE Programme, as well as the importance of regional collaboration to achieve effective security and humanitarian responses in Southeast Asia