APPF Executive Committee adopts APPF-26 agenda hinh anh 1Vietnamese NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks at the event (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The APPF Executive Committee Meeting passed the theme, agenda, and working programme of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) on January 18.

Chairing the meeting, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the adoption of the Hanoi Declaration would be a significant task of the APPF-26.

The Hanoi Declaration, proposed by Vietnam and supported by participating members of the committee, contains three main parts: major achievements of APPF since 1993; APPF in a fast-changing world; and parliamentary partnership for a shared future of Asia-Pacific and APPF new development visions.

It emphasises the role of APPF in promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the 2030 Development Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as well as supports the cooperation with APEC and other regional, international institutions. It also inherits the principles set in other APPF Milestone Declarations, namely Vancouver, Valparaiso and New Tokyo.

The executive committee agreed with the Drafting Committee’s establishment of four working groups on peace and security, transnational and trans-boundary crime; economy, trade and regional economic integration; regional cooperation, climate change, food security, cultural cooperation and sustainable development; and gender equality .

It also supported Japan’s draft resolution on amendment to the APPF Rules of Procedure, which focuses on turning the APPF Women Parliamentarians Meeting into an official part of APPF annual meetings. The draft will be discussed at upcoming plenary sessions.

Participating members agreed with the selection of Cambodia as the host of the APPF-27, which is slated for January 2019.

The APPF-26, themed “Parliamentary partnership for peace, innovation and sustainable development”, will continue on January 19 with two plenary sessions on politics-security and economics-trade matters.

The APPF was officially formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 1993. The forum now gathers 27 members. It is a mechanism that enables parliamentarians to discuss issues of common concern, and to deepen their understanding of the region and the interests and experience of its diverse members. The forum’s proceedings address political, security, economic, social and cultural issues, thus furthering regional cooperation and building relations between and among parliamentarians from the Asia-Pacific region.-VNA

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