Source: Public Relations and Information Department

OTHER NEWS «

Terrorism and poverty tops AAPP agenda
05 July 2004 01:47:46 PM
Writer: Noel Albano / Diony Tubianosa
PRID

Executive Council Meeting admits Palau, United Arab Emirates and Libya as new AAPP members

The Executive Council Meeting of the 37-member Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) was unanimous in pinpointing the fight against poverty and international terrorism as the top concerns of the global community, Philippine House of Representatives Speaker and current AAPP President Jose de Venecia declared today.

In his opening statement, de Venecia stressed that the AAPP has been transformed into a cohesive and united force for stability and peace in Asia.

“In this cause we have our parliaments---our budget- and law-making powers---as our greatest weapon to attack the root causes of poverty, fight terrorism and end the cycle of senseless violence it has bred,” he said told the leaders of Asian, African and Pacific nations gathered at the Centennial Hall of the historic Manila Hotel.

The AAPP council meeting, presided over by de Venecia, also unanimously approved the separate applications for membership of Palau, the United Arab Emirates and Libya.

“We now have increased our membership from 37 to 40. We also approved ‘VISION FOR ASIA: Peace and Development through inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue’ as the theme of the coming AAPP General Assembly in Pakistan,” de Venecia said.

Aside from de Venecia, members of the Philippine host-delegation were Rep. Roque Ablan, chairman of the House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Rep. Antonio Cuenco, chairman of the House Special Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights and the eloquent Rep. Teodoro Locsin, Jr.

The Philippine panel proposed and elaborated on the proposed Islamabad (Pakistan) agenda that include, among others, the following:

A. Political: Urging Parliaments to prioritize and include terrorism and poverty in their legislative agenda;

B. Socio-Economic: Advancing efforts in the Region to achieve political and economic integration including the creation of an ASEAN Parliament and/or an Asia-wide Parliamentary Assembly, a Common Market and an eventual Asia Currency;

C. Peace and Security: Role of Asian Parliaments in promoting Peace, stability and development in Asia and the Pacific;

D. Women and Youth: Implementing and enforcing all laws on reproductive health, combating, prohibiting and penalizing all forms of violence against women, sexual exploitation, prostitution, slavery, children and women trafficking.

The council also approved Thailand’s proposal that the Islamabad agenda accommodate other issues as they may arise in the future, thus, inserting the phrase “and other matters.”

Ablan said that AAPP members “are never devoid of hope for remedies to have our region and the world out of the scourge of poverty, terrorism, exploitation and violence against women and youth and other vulnerabilities.”

De Venecia noted that the holding of the 5th General Assembly in Islamabad in November is a “vital recognition” of Pakistan’s historic transition to parliamentary democracy.

The Speaker said the nations under ASEAN can continue to seek cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to fight terrorism and foster further economic and political cooperation.

He said the Philippines will present before the Islamabad assembly its feasibility study on transforming the AAPP into the Asian Parliamentary Assembly along the lines of the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe.