AKP Guangxi, September 18, 2026 --

Cambodia has called on regional countries to promote responsible and human-centred use of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen disaster management and emergency response capabilities, stressing that emerging technologies should support responders rather than replace human judgement.

The call was made by H.E. Ross Sovann, Deputy Secretary General of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), while addressing the 3rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Urban Emergency Rescue in Nanning, China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 18.

H.E. Ross Sovann said rapid urbanisation and the evolving nature of disaster risks require countries to continuously strengthen their preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms.

“Timely information, clear decision-making, effective coordination, well-trained responders, and proper equipment are critical during crises,” he said.

The Cambodian official underlined the importance of ensuring that AI is used as a tool to empower emergency personnel while maintaining human judgement at the centre of crisis management.

“The important question is not simply how advanced AI can become, but how effectively we can put it to work for emergency management and, ultimately, for the people and communities we serve,” he said.

The 3rd ARF Workshop on Urban Emergency Rescue is being held in Nanning from Sept. 17 to 21 and is co-chaired by China, Lao PDR and Malaysia.

The five-day workshop brings together officials, disaster management experts and rescue specialists from participating countries for policy discussions, technical exchanges, field exercises and demonstrations of emergency response technologies.

The gathering provides a platform for participants to enhance cooperation in emergency rescue, exchange technical expertise and strengthen regional resilience to disasters.

The ASEAN Regional Forum is an ASEAN-led multilateral security dialogue and cooperation mechanism that brings together countries and entities from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss common political and security challenges.

China has reaffirmed its commitment to working with ASEAN countries to promote the development of a more efficient and intelligent regional emergency management system.

By Sophat