The IARU Region 3 Chairman Michael Owen VK3KI, and Directors Peter Lake ZL2AZ,Shizuo Endo JE1MUI, Professor Rhee HL1AQQ and Gopal Madhavan VU2GMN, met at the JARL offices in Tokyo.

At the meeting 14-16 July they were assisted by IARU Region 3 Secretary was Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP, and Keigo Komuro JA1KAB, Special Advisor to the Directors.

IARU President, Timothy Ellam VE6SH, IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, and IARU Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH also participated in the meeting.

Based on their report on Vietnam where next year 15th Regional conference is to be held, the IARU R3 Directors announced their enthusiasm for the event planning.

The Directors agreed that emergency communications would be an appropriate theme for the Conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Directors considered the role of radio amateurs in a number of disasters including the tragic fires in Victoria, Australia, the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

They noted that many had not yet given effect in their national regulations to the ITU’s Radio Regulations in 2003 encouraging radio amateurs to prepare for and participate in disaster communications.

The Directors investigated the factual financial situation that had caused concern at the Christchurch Conference. The Secretary’s report found that they were currently working comfortably within the budget.

The Directors reviewed the preparations for World Radio Conference 2012 (WRC-12),including and upcoming APG meeting. It seems likely that there will be a radio amateur on three national delegations at WRC-12.

The Directors discussed the IARU Monitoring System. IARU President Tim Ellam hoped a very satisfactory solution to the concerns identified in Christchurch will be found at the IARU Administrative Council meeting.

The IARU Region 1, IARU AC and the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC), will be held next month in Sun City, South Africa.

- Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3, Disaster Communications Committee.