AIPA committees appraise critical regional issues

Vietnamese delegation at the event (Photo:VNA)

Committees of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) convened on September 9 as part of the ongoing 36th AIPA General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

At the meeting of the Committee on Political Matters, delegates appealed for ASEAN member countries’ support to and effective implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions on anti-terrorism. They also called for intensified cooperation among the regional nations in preventing terrorist, extremist and radical groups.

Participants highlighted the necessity of promoting adherence to international law and intra-ASEAN cooperation to maintain peace and security while solidifying the ASEAN Political-Security Community.

During the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation underscored the need for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and efforts to finalise a code of conduct in the waters shortly.

The meeting of the Committee on Economic Matters asked ASEAN countries to fuel the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises and boost their competitiveness while creating opportunities in global supply chains through joint ventures to explore new markets.

Delegates also requested member nations remove non-tariff barriers that hinder the flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled workers.

The countries should encourage AIPA member parliaments to focus on the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community’s goals from 2016 to 2025.

Meanwhile, issues tabled at the meeting of the Committee on Social Matters included draft resolutions on protecting and improving the lives of the elderly, the betterment of tertiary education in the bloc and the formation of a technical working group of the AIPA Fact Finding Committee on drug control.

The meeting of the Committee on Organisational Matters discussed and adopted a resolution on amending AIPA regulations, the financial report of the AIPA Secretariat and the Secretariat’s 2015 working agenda.-VNA