Doc 30GA/2009/Soc Rep/01
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
ON SOCIAL MATTERS
Mr Chairman
1 I have the honour to submit the following report of the Committee on Social Matters.
2 The Committee on Social Matters convened on 5 August 2009, with Hon. Mrs. Pikulkeaw Krairiksh as Madame Chairperson and Hon. Mr. Danuphon Punnakanta as Rapporteur. The following parliamentarians from the AIPA Member Countries attended the Meeting:
Brunei Darussalam
1. Hon. Dato Paduka Haji Yunos bin Haji Mohd. Noh
2. Hon. Mr. Haji Mohd. Shafiee bin Ahmad
3. Hon. Mr. Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Ahad
Cambodia
1. Hon. Mrs. Ho Naun
2. Hon. Ms. Khuon Sudary
3. Hon. Mrs. Mean Som An
4. Hon. Mr. Min Sean
Indonesia
1. Hon. Mrs. Maryamah Nugraha Besoes
2. Hon. Hakim Sorimuda Pohan
Laos
1. Hon. Prof. Dr. Phonethep Pholsena
2. Hon. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Som Ock Kingsada
Malaysia
1. Hon. Dr. Che Rosli Che Mat
2. Hon. Mdm. Mumtaz Md. Nawi
3. Hon. Mdm. Tan Ah Eng
Philippines
1. Hon. Robert Raymund M. Estrella
2. Hon. Irwin C. Tieng
3. Hon. Adelina Rodriguez-Zaldarriaga
Singapore
1. Hon. Mr. Charles Chong
2. Hon. Mr. Lim Biow Chuan
Thailand
1. Hon. Mr. Somboon Uthaiviankul
2. Hon. Ms. Rosana Tositrakul
3. Hon. Mr. Purapat Vicetjindawatana
4. Hon. Mrs. Kirana Sumawong
5. Hon. Prof. Pinit Kullavanijaya
6. Hon. Mr. Tuan Abdullah Daudmareyo
7. Hon. Gen. Kasemsak Plooksawat
Vietnam
1. Hon. Mr. Nguyen Van Tien
2. Hon. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bach Mai
3. Hon. Mr. Ha Thanh Toan
Myanmar
1. Hon. U Htun Htun Oo
3 The Committee was held in the traditional ASEAN spirit of cordiality, unity and cooperation and had extensive discussion and approved Resolutions on the following topics:
a. Building an ASEAN Identity
The Committee reaffirmed AIPA’s intention to promote an ASEAN identity among ASEAN citizens which includes creating an awareness of ASEAN according to Article 35 of the ASEAN Charter. The Committee agreed to work closely with ASEAN by organizing people-to-people reach out programs to bring the ASEAN Charter “The Charter of the Peoples” to the doorsteps of ASEAN citizens. The Committee proposed that AIPA should engage with external parties and dialogue partners including international parliamentary network for the best outcome.
b. Health and Social Problems Emerging from Migration
The Committee has realized that the flow of migrants into ASEAN from within the region and overseas are increasing significantly and recognized efforts of ASEAN to cope with this situation by the issuance of ASEAN Declaration on Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The Committee was concerned that health and social problems emerging from migration do not affect only the receiving countries but also the region as a whole. The Committee recommended that ASEAN should develop further a framework to better address health and social problems associating with migration and reiterated AIPA’s commitment to provide parliamentary support towards this end. In this connection, the Committee agreed to establish an AIPA Fact-Finding Committee on Migration to address of the migration issue in ASEAN in a comprehensive manner. The Committee reaffirmed AIPA’s intention to provide legislative and parliamentary supports to promote better living conditions for migrant workers including adequate access to the legal and judicial system of the receiving countries, strengthen policies and procedures in the sending state to facilitate and protect migrant workers, and to eliminate malpractices through legislative mechanism.
c. Harmonization of Laws on Seizure and Forfeiture of Assets in Drug Criminal Case and on the Chemicals and Precursors Control
The Committee took note of the Resolution on Harmonization of Laws on Seizure and Forfeiture of Assets in Drug Criminal Case and on the Chemicals and Precursors Control adopted by the 6th AIFOCOM in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and affirmed AIPA’s proactive contribution to realize a Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015. The Committee recommended the strengthening and harmonizing of laws on drugs among ASEAN member countries with the assistance of international organizations. The Committee also urged AIPA member countries to consider a tax exemption for products from drug related alternative development project as the motivation to combat drug menace.
d. Disaster Management
The Committee acknowledged that ASEAN has adopted a comprehensive strategy to cope with natural disasters as well as to coordinate humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts. The Committee agreed to provide parliamentary and legislative support to get the region better prepared and equipped with people-to-people assistance in disaster preparedness, disaster relief and control, and rehabilitation.
The Committee also mentioned that parliaments should oversee transparency and accountability in the handling of the issue.
e. Legal Cooperation to Combat the Trafficking in Persons
The Committee realized that human trafficking is a serious transnational crime against humanity and noted that AIPA Ad-hoc Committee on Human Trafficking formed in the 28th AIPA General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 was not convened. Therefore, the Committee agreed to call for the first meeting of the AIPA Ad-hoc Committee on Human Trafficking to work out details of its roles and to work with the AIPA Caucus on human trafficking. The Committee also noted that ASEAN is currently drafting an ASEAN Convention on Trafficking in Persons which AIPA should support and provide recommendations to ASEAN in the drafting of this Convention. The Committee also resolved to facilitate sharing of best practices, policies and measures to combat human trafficking among member countries and strive towards the harmonization of laws of member countries on this issue.
f. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals for Sustainable Human Security
On this topic, there were two draft resolutions submitted to the Committee’s consideration. The Committee agreed to merge them into a one final document.
The Committee realized that the Millennium Development Goals continued to be
a significant and major milestone and indicator for human security and expressed concerns on the impact of climate change and the current financial and economic crisis on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. To carry out the task, the Committee agreed to provide parliamentary and legislative support and recommendations to ASEAN to ensure the achievement of the MDGs while calling on member countries to ensure basic human rights of ASEAN peoples and share their information, experience and best practices for the achievement of the MDGs through relevant AIPA frameworks.
g. Building a Healthy ASEAN Community
The Committee took into consideration that health is a major regional agenda and recognized that people cannot achieve their fullest potential unless they are able to take control of the determinant factors to their well-being. The Committee also recognized the World Health Organization’s concept of a healthy community and appreciated efforts of the ASEAN Health Ministers in pooling their medical and health professionals to guarantee a pandemic-free ASEAN. The Committee recognized the needs for common and collective efforts by countries in the regions for effective responses to newly emerging pandemic diseases such as H5N1 and AH1N1. The Committee, therefore; agreed that AIPA should continue to give this serious attention and provide recommendations to ASEAN on health issues and community health services in order to achieve a healthy ASEAN Social and Cultural community.
4 The Committee approved seven resolutions concerning all the issues discussed in the Committee.
5 I hereby present the Report of the Committee on Social Matters to the 30th General Assembly.
Thank you.
PIKULKEAW KRAIRIRSK DANUPHON PUNNAKANTA
CHAIRPERSON RAPPORTEUR