On 8 July 2020, the APTERR Secretariat led by Mr. Chanpithya Shimphalee, General Manager, attended online meeting with Ms. Fang Bing, the Counsellor, Ms. Mei Fang, Director for Functional Cooperation, and Mr. Wang Dongliang, the official of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN to discuss on the APTERR mechanism. The meeting’s objectives were to improve understandings about APTERR and to collect information for possibly adopting as one of role models of the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies and Equipment (RRMSE).
The meeting involved the clarification and details about APTERR’s Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 programmes, the earmarked and stockpile rice system, the APTERR Fund, and finally, the role of APTERR Secretariat and its function.
All information gathered in the meeting could be potentially used as a guideline to support the establishment of the RRMSE, which is an initiative for strengthening ASEAN’s preparedness and enhancing responsive capabilities in the event of public health emergencies similar to the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
