3:26:28 PM | 7/8/2005
Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians Pledge Closer Political, Socioeconomic Cooperation
Up to 275 delegates from 22 member states and one observer country of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), met at the forum's 13th annual meeting held in
"Together with the previous meetings, APPF 13 represents a step forward in the process of realising the goals of the forum set out in the
The 13th APPF meeting adopted 22 resolutions, including those on cooperation to overcome the earthquake and tsunami disaster, application of the Doha Development Agenda, terrorism, the peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, actions for nuclear disarmament after 60 years of the atomic era, cooperation for the prevention and eradication of emerging infectious diseases, and cultural exchanges and cooperation among the Asia-Pacific countries.
At a special session of the four-day meeting, the delegations pledged to strengthen activities regarding rescue, relief and reconstruction in Southeast Asian and East Asian countries hit by earthquakes and tsunamis on
“The 13th APPF urges all countries to continue making maximum efforts possible in search, emergency relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction activities relating to this disaster and in supporting these activities within the framework of close coordination and solidarity centered on the United Nations (UN),” says the resolution on cooperation to overcome the earthquake and tsunami disaster.
With regards to trade and economic issues, the delegations agreed that despite potential destabilising factors, Asia-Pacific remains a dynamic region with high growth rate with the increased liberalisation and cooperation among countries in the region acting as an engine for regional growth. Nonetheless, this process and the region's sustainable development are facing difficulties as a result of the development gap and the shortage of resources in the region, which are most critical in developing nations with low levels of development. Countries in the region, therefore, need closer regional and international cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, assistance and understanding to narrow the development gap.
The delegations welcomed important progress in the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession of
The 13th APPF meeting welcomed the moves toward “economic integration, such as free trade area (FTA) negotiations among countries in the region, as a positive contribution to the prosperity of the entire region; wish for economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region to be deepened on the basis of these movements and in a way consistent with the WTO; and call upon APPF nations to endeavor to advance concrete FTA negotiations,” says the resolution on economy and trade.
The meeting welcomed a report from
At the plenary session on security and political issues, the delegations noted that the Asia-Pacific region encountered a number of traditional and non-traditional threats to peace and security such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, transnational crimes, infectious diseases, and natural disasters. They also discussed other issues of common concerns as the situation in
The meeting encouraged all states to “pursue national and international cooperation and coordination among police, defence, justice, customs, immigration, intelligence and other relevant agencies to ensure more effective law enforcement, border control and intelligence information sharing efforts,” the resolution on terrorism says, adding that the meeting noted the importance of combating the transnational organised crime, often being the nutrient medium for terrorists activity, including such kinds of crimes as illegal trafficking of narcotics, psychotropic substances and their precursors, money laundering and illicit arms sales.
Regarding regional cooperation in addressing such common issues as the environment, infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, bird flu and SARS), transnational crimes, Agent Orange, resources for sustainable development, and cultural exchanges and dialogues, the delegations stressed the urgent need for beefing up international cooperation. They also called on APPF developed countries to keep on offering financial assistance and know-how to developing members.
Concerning cultural issues, the meeting adopted the resolution on cultural exchanges and cooperation among the Asia-Pacific countries sponsored by
At the session on the forum’s future activities, the meeting unanimously accepted the invitation of the Indonesian Parliament to host the 14th annual meeting in January 2006. "While we continue to address issues under the traditional partition of agenda items of the APPF annual meeting, in the 14th meeting, we shall remain vigilant of the issue of national disaster and the importance of concerted efforts at addressing its consequences," Agung Laksono, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, said at the closing ceremony.
The APPF, established in 1993, is a non-exclusive forum for national parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific mainly to identify and discuss matters of common concern and interest and to highlight them in a global context. It currently has 28 members and observers including
Nguyen Van An, Chairman National Assembly of
Over the past couple of decades, Asia-Pacific has emerged as a region of dynamic economic development with an increasingly important position in the world’s politics and economy. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), established in 1989, plays an important role in promoting trade and investment liberalisation, creating an enabling business environment, boosting economic growth, and bringing greater prosperity to the people in the region.
APEC member economies represent over one third of world population spreading across four continents with diverse cultures. APEC also brings together two out of the three world’s major political, economic and cultural centres with 50 per cent and 47 per cent of global GDO and trade, respectively. However, APEC and APPF cooperation is unequal to the vast potential of our region and not responsive enough to the fierce competition in economy and trade. In that context, APPF members all agreed to implement the programmes approved at the recent APEC Summit in
-Ahn Byuung Yub, member of National Assembly of the
To ensure the success of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), member nations need to make substantial and balanced progress by the next WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled in
I firmly believe that the Asia Pacific is the most dynamic region in the world with a boundless growth potential. Therefore, if countries in the region come together through the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) and proactively take the leadership to hammer out the differences on major trade issues like agriculture, it will be able to leave an indelible mark on the development of the multilateral trade regime.
-Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, President of National Assembly of
The issue of regional security remains the gravest concerns to all of us. In order to eliminate terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational crimes at regional level, we should pass similar and appropriate legislation and enact policies to reduce and/or eliminate the root-causes of the aforementioned crimes. We need to review our respective education curricula to incorporate the social and cultural values of our neighbouring countries without discriminating against the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in order to eliminate the sources of hatred and animosity, which are the roots of social conflicts. Acquired social and cultural knowledge provides us with a broader view, understanding, and thus appreciation of our neighbours, which in turn, create and foster harmony and peace among our nations.
Furthermore, we must ensure that economic growth and balanced development benefit all of our citizens, not just a privileged few so that everyone can have sufficient resources, access to education, decent housing, affordable healthcare, and cultural enrichment.
-Maryamah Nugraha Besoes, member of Indonesian Parliament
The Asia-Pacific region is wrestling with such issues as air and water pollution, degradation of coastal and marine resources, proliferation of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste, loss of soil productivity and biodiversity. Another issue that requires our particular attention is the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. The UN ESCAP is of the view that HIV/AIDS in the region is a time bomb. The relatively low HIV prevalence rates in the region are deceptive, as low rates in such a populous region still translate into massive numbers of infections. Sixty per cent of the world’s population is in the Asia-Pacific, with
Vietnamese
