ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) held in Singapore from 19-24 August 2008 adopted the following resolutions:

POLITICAL MATTERS

1) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Pol/01 ON AIPA’S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASEAN CHARTER

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling the Resolution of the 28th AIPA GA on enhancing AIPA’s role and contribution to the ASEAN Charter;

Welcoming the signing of the ASEAN Charter at the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore as a landmark achievement, articulating a legal and institutional framework as well as a vision of ASEAN as a grouping bound by geography, common hopes and a shared destiny;

Supportive of ASEAN’s purpose to promote a people-oriented ASEAN Community in which all sectors are encouraged to participate;

Welcoming the completion of ratification of the ASEAN Charter by Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam, and the strong commitment by all ASEAN member countries to complete its ratification by the 14th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok;

Resolves to:

Reinforce the key role of ASEAN Parliamentarians in advancing regional integration for the benefit of the peoples of ASEAN;

Urge the expeditious ratification of the ASEAN Charter with a view to its entry into force by the 14th ASEAN Summit in December 2008;

Uphold the purposes and principles of the ASEAN Charter;

Support the implementation of the ASEAN Charter through the formulation and promulgation of national legislation in conformity with the Charter;

Foster a rules-based regime in ASEAN under the Charter;

Uphold the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law; and

Increase awareness of the Charter among ASEAN legislators and at the national level.

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2) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Pol/02 ON STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY, PROMOTION, AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling the ASEAN Charter particularly its purposes and principles and the decision to establish ASEAN Community by 2015 as stated in the Bali Concord II;

Convinced that respect for human rights is not only a fundamental value in itself but also essential to developing stable, democratic and prosperous societies that are capable of living together in peace an harmony;

Mindful that the full enjoyment of human rights empowers human beings to shape their lives based on liberty, equality and respect for human dignity, and must be safeguarded by every ASEAN member country;

Underlining the need to establish an ASEAN human rights body as mandated by the ASEAN Charter stipulated in article 14 which was agreed in the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore in November 2007;

Welcoming the establishment of the High Level Panel on an ASEAN human rights body;

Stressing the important roles of AIPA Member Parliaments as legitimate representatives of the ASEAN people in strengthening democratization in regional institutions and furthering the promotion and protection of human rights;

Recognizing the importance of building the capacity of citizens through democracy and human rights education, as human and social capital are the driving forces and key elements in the democratization process;

Hereby resolves to:

Support the efforts to promote and protect Human Rights in ASEAN as a part of collective responsibility and obligation toward establishing the ASEAN Community by 2015;

Endorse the decision to establish an ASEAN human rights body as stipulated by the ASEAN Charter as well as the establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children and the elaboration of an ASEAN instrument on the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers;

Reaffirm that parliamentary democracy can only be truly meaningful if women are provided equal rights and opportunities to be represented in parliament, and strongly urge ASEAN member countries and AIPA member Parliaments to ensure that such equality is achieved within the Millennium Development Goals Framework;

Call on AIPA Member Parliaments to work for democracy based on the freely expressed will of the people through open, transparent, free and fair elections to choose their own representatives, and in this context, build a knowledge-based society in order to support the practice of democracy;

Strongly urge all AIPA Member to extend their full support to work towards the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body, and encourage the contribution of all relevant stakeholders in this regard;

Recommend to include the topic on the promotion and protection of Human Rights in ASEAN as part of the Agenda of the 30th AIPA General Assembly.

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ECONOMIC MATTERS

3) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Eco/01 ON NARROWING THE ECONOMIC GAP

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Conscious that the different levels of development among ASEAN Member Countries requires technical cooperation and capacity building to address the development divide and accelerate the economic integration of the less developed ASEAN Member Countries;

Aware of the need for the ASEAN-6 to continue assisting the less developed Member Countries to increase a latter’s rate of economic growth in line with “Prosper Thy Neighbour” concept;

Stressing the important roles of the ASEAN Development Fund, Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other related international financial institutions and support of dialogue partners in financing programmes to reduce the development gap between ASEAN members, and the financing for the programmes on infrastructure and human resource development for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to be given priority; and

Realising that the ASEAN Policy Blueprint for SME Development 2004-2014 (APBSD) outlines the framework for SME development in ASEAN, stimulating economic growth and increasing the region’s economic diversity and capacity;

Resolves to:

Enhance the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) to serve as a platform for identifying and implementing technical assistance and capacity building programmes for both public and private sectors in AIPA Member Countries;

Urge for the effective and timely implementation of the IAI Work Plan 2009-2015 and the ASEAN Policy Blueprint for SME Development 2004-2014 (APBSD) by all AIPA Member Countries to enhance the competitiveness and strengthen the resilience of ASEAN SMEs; and

Encourage best practices among SMEs and promote networking and technical exchanges of SMEs and their participation in the building of regional production and distribution networks.

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4) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Eco/02 ON ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Reaffirming the Resolution 28GA/2007/Eco/02 of the 28th AIPA General Assembly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which calls for the acceleration of ASEAN integration through the enhancement of trade, technology, infrastructure development and investment linkages between member countries, especially in the identified twelve priority sectors for accelerated integration;

Aware that the ASEAN Leaders have signed the Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint at the 13th ASEAN Summit and that member countries are committed to fulfilling their commitments as laid out in the Blueprint to ensure the realisation of the AEC by 2015;

Noting that ASEAN’s economic integration provides strategic benefits imperative for ensuring that ASEAN continues to play a key role in the Asia Pacific region and the global environment;

Recognising that ASEAN’s economic integration provides economic gains essential for a competitive and thriving environment attractive to investors and advantageous to the ASEAN economies; and

Stressing that along with implementing internal integration initiatives, ASEAN should also continue cultivating strong linkages with extra-ASEAN partners, so that maximum economic gains can be reaped from a holistic approach to benefit the people of ASEAN;

Resolves to:

Urge all AIPA member countries to extend their fullest cooperation in ASEAN’s internal integration efforts, in particular, in complying with the commitments laid out in the AEC Blueprint; and

Encourage all AIPA member countries to be committed to developing strong economic relationships with extra-ASEAN partners through trade and economic arrangements and initiatives.

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5) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Eco/03 ON ENERGY SECURITY AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling the commitment to implement the ASEAN plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2004-2009 adopted at the Twenty-Second ASEAN Ministers of Energy meeting, under which New and Renewable Energy is one of the main components for promotion and cooperation;

Noting the continuing significance of RES.26GA/2005/ECO/04 adopted by the 26th AIPO General Assembly in September 2005 in Vientiane, Laos, and of RES.28GA/2007/Eco/04 adopted by the 28th AIPA General Assembly in August 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which collectively called for “ASEAN Renewable Energy and Development”, and the “development of new technologies for the creation of renewable and alternative energy sources”;

Realizing the importance of energy security to ASEAN economic development amidst rising oil prices and the adverse effect of high dependence on oil importation for energy requirements from oil producing countries on the financial positions of ASEAN countries; and

Noting that a significant proportion of the oil and gas from the Middle East is transported by sea to Asia and other regions, the bulk of these supplies transit a series of maritime chokepoints, such as Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), and that there are mechanisms currently in place for user states to cooperate with littoral states to enhance the safety of navigation in the SOMS;

Resolves to:

Urge all AIPA member countries to promote the production and utilization of renewable and alternative environmentally friendly energy suitable for each country to secure energy efficiency and competitiveness enabling economic growth and sustainable development in the region;

Call on all AIPA member countries to create an environment conducive to greater participation of the private sector, non-governmental organizations and the local communities in the development of both traditional and alternative renewable energy sources; to promote cooperation and sharing of relevant technology and best practices;

Call on AIPA member countries to further strengthen inter-ASEAN efforts to ensure the security of vital energy sea lanes, especially the Straits of Malacca; and

Encourage AIPA member countries with diverse natural resources to cooperate on all energy sources to promote frameworks to prevent price speculation through effective legal, regulatory and technical frameworks that will address the need for adequate, affordable and accessible energy sources while at the same time encouraging energy savings, preserving ecological balance and sustainable development.

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SOCIAL MATTERS

6) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/01 ON BUILDING AN ASEAN IDENTITY

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Aware of the central role of a sense of identity and belonging among the peoples of ASEAN in the development of a cohesive ASEAN Community;

Recalling the ASEAN Charter’s pledge to promote a common ASEAN identity and a sense of belonging among its peoples in order to achieve its shared destiny, goals and values;

Recognizing the rich and diverse cultures, heritage and history of the ASEAN region; and

Affirming the role of education and cultural exchanges in the promotion of greater inter-cultural, inter-religious and inter-racial understanding;

Resolves to:

Promote an ASEAN identity and awareness among the peoples of Southeast Asia;

Advocate ASEAN-oriented policies at the national level, relating to the Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural pillars of the ASEAN Community;

Cultivate a sense of ASEAN identity among ASEAN’s future leaders through national education, socio-cultural, youth and sports policies;

Facilitate people-to-people interactions and exchanges among ASEAN member states, including parliamentary and other exchanges; and

Actively participate in commemorative events on the occasion of ASEAN Day.

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7) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/02 ON POVERTY ERADICATION IN LIGHT OF GLOBALISATION

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recognizing that socio-economic disparities and poverty persist across ASEAN member states;

Noting that economic development and growth have played significant roles in mitigating these disparities and poverty, and that globalization has fuelled this development and growth;

Being aware that globalization has inadvertently led to the loss of livelihoods and economic hardship in a number of instances;

Affirming ASEAN’s commitment to enhancing the well-being and the livelihoods of the peoples of ASEAN through alleviating poverty, ensuring the right of the ASEAN people to social welfare and protection;

Understanding that development strategies to improve social and economic mobility should include appropriate social safety nets to assist the poorest of the poor;

Further recognizing the differing experiences and expertise of ASEAN member states in addressing socio-economic disparities and persistence in poverty, and the importance of sharing information and technologies between members on effective strategies that address these problems; and

Reaffirming the commitment to operationalise the ASEAN Millennium Development Compact through the ASEAN Roadmap towards realizing the UN Millennium Development Goals;

Hereby resolves to:

Address the socio-economic disparities and poverty that persist across ASEAN member states including achieving the Millennium Development Goal of eradication of extreme poverty and hunger;

Encourage more opportunities for all ASEAN peoples to enhance their wellbeing, and to minimize the possible negative impacts of globalisation on them, by improving the quality, coverage and sustainability of social protection and increasing the capacity of social risk management;

Promote the implementation of social safety nets that suit the unique needs of the different communities within the ASEAN member states while taking into account the different benefits of community-based and government-based delivery mechanisms;

Support ASEAN Member States’ community-driven initiatives for poverty reduction; and

Promote cooperation to identify and extend appropriate technical assistance required in the field of poverty reduction.

Call for creating opportunities for encouraging and attracting investors to invest in Least Development ASEAN Nations;

Urge the underdeveloped and developing AIPA member countries to strengthen their comprehensive national poverty eradication strategic plans and closely monitor their implementation, with increased level of financial aid from economically well-off AIPA member countries to ensure sufficient employment prospects for their peoples.

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8) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/03 ON RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HARMONY

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Acknowledging the diversity of cultures and religions as constituents of the heritage and identity of AIPA member countries;

Cognizant that all cultures and religions share a common set of universal values and can play an instrumental role in supporting peace and progress;

Aware that intercultural and inter-religious cooperation is pivotal in the upholding of security in our region and;

Recognizing that dialogue and cooperation are now an essential part of the national, regional and international political landscape;

Resolves to:

Call on all AIPA Member Countries to oppose all forms of exclusion, prejudice and discrimination, and to promote the peaceful coexistence of cultural and religious diversities;

Recommend all AIPA Member Countries to foster intercultural and inter-religious harmony by educating society to accept and appreciate diversity in cultures and social systems, and promoting shared values that will build common ground and strengthen understanding among the diverse cultural and religious communities;

Encourage all AIPA Member Countries to hold forums at both the local and national levels to provide opportunities for dialogue, and to nurture mutual respect and understanding among the various cultural and religious communities, thereby forging closer relationships and creating greater capacity for intercultural and inter-religious cooperation;

Appeal to all AIPA Member Countries to engage in educational cooperation and exchanges which bring together youths from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds to advance interaction and cultivate mutual understanding and;

Urge all AIPA Member Countries to support practical initiatives launched by governments, cultural and religious communities, the media and all other levels of society to achieve intercultural and inter-religious understanding and cooperation among the different communities for the promotion of security and peaceful development of this region.

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9) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/04 ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recognising that the issues of environment, climate change and sustainable development are interrelated and complex, and represent a challenge that must be addressed in a comprehensive manner through individual, regional and concerted international action;

Reiterating AIPA member parliaments’ full support to the governments’ commitments demonstrated in a number of previous conferences in 2007, such as APEC Leaders’ Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development, the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability, the ASEAN Declaration on the 13th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change and the UN Climate Change Conference;

Appreciating the contributions made by AIPA dialogue countries, including China, European Union, Russia, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, to the regional efforts to address the climate change and environment;

Cognisant of mounting global concern over the environment and ASEAN’s obligations to its people in fulfilling the aims of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular to ensure environmental sustainability in the context of sustainable development;

Affirming that ASEAN region is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change on socio-economic development, health and environment that would directly affect the security, livehood and well-being of the peoples of ASEAN;

Recognising the importance of sustainable forest management in ASEAN, which will contribute significantly to the international efforts to promote environmental sustainability, and to mitigate the effects of climate change as well as transboundary environmental pollution;

Reiterating the need to build an ASEAN Community that is economically vibrant and environmentally friendly, so that the present and future generations can enjoy a clean and sustainable environment;

Resolves to:

1. Support the preservation and protection of ASEAN’s environment in the areas of Environmental Protection and Management, Climate Change and Conservation of Natural Resources;

2. Encourage efforts to intensify ASEAN cooperation in promoting, sharing and implementing environmentally sustainable practices, including R&D, information exchange and application of environmentally-sound technologies, best practices in environmental governance and the enhancement of human and institutional capacities, environmental education and harmonizing legal frameworks for environmental objectives and actions toward sustainable development;

3. Encourage AIPA member parliaments to support environmental initiatives and programmes which are made possible by commitments and financial resources both from within ASEAN and from external funding agencies;

4. Urge the implementation of measures by all relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies to enhance international and regional cooperation to combat transboundary environmental pollution, including haze pollution, through, among other things, capacity building, enhancing public awareness, strengthening law enforcement, promoting environmentally sustainable practices, as well as combating illegal logging and its associated illegal trade;

5. Encourage efforts to reduce by half of the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2010 in accordance with the VAP to meet the needs of ASEAN citizens, and significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers by 2020 in ASEAN Member Countries in accordance with the UN MDGs;

6. Support collaboration within ASEAN and with the international community to minimize the adverse impacts of climate change, particularly from flood, drought, landslide and the rise of sea level, and seek to explore measures to improve energy efficiency in key sectors of energy use through capacity building and information sharing of best practices in managing energy use and the adoption of appropriate technologies and practices;

7. Promote the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity as a regional centre for biodiversity conservation and management; and work towards achieving an aspirational goal of significantly increasing the cumulative forest cover in the ASEAN region by at least 10 million hectares by 2020.

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10) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/05 ON FOOD SECURITY

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recognising the importance of food security issue, which has become a matter of great concern due to the recent hike in food price, caused by factors such as increased demand; decreased land devoted to agriculture; poor weather conditions and plant disease;

Agreeing that effective responses to the food crisis would require a broad range of measures, including creating suitable and favourable conditions to increase productivity through, among others, effective transfer of technology, research and development, providing support services, increasing in agricultural land, and in public and private investment;

Reiterating AIPA member parliaments’ full support to the governments’ commitments demonstrated at the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on Food Security and the most recently 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Singapore July 2008;

Resolves to:

Call on AIPA member parliaments to support the commitment of ASEAN governments in implementing initiatives to minimize the adverse impacts of rising food prices in the region, through, inter-alia, promoting reasonable pricing and trade mechanisms to enforce anti-profiteering measures among members of ASEAN countries;

Urge the AIPA member countries to continue sharing experiences and good practices in coping with the challenges posed by the rise of food prices and where possible, sharing surplus in production, in times of crisis and shortage of rice;

Encourage the AIPA member parliaments to supervise the governments’ activities in implementing the regional commitments and obligation of each member country on food security;

Strengthen the AIPA cooperation with dialogue partners, international and regional organizations to find out comprehensive sustainable solutions to respond to the threats of soaring food prices and to ensure food security.

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11) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/06 ON ESTABLISHMENT OF AIPA EXPERT WORKING GROUP ON LEGAL COOPERATION TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Referring to Resolution Res. 25GA/2004/Com/WAIPO/02 on the Role of Parliament in Combating Trafficking in Women and Children in the ASEAN Region adopted by the 25th AIPO General Assembly held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 12th to 17th September, 2004 and Resolution Res. 26GA/2005/Soc/03 on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Women and Children adopted by the 26th AIPO General Assembly held in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 18th to 23rd September, 2005;

Recalling Resolution No. 27GA/06/Soc/01 on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Persons adopted by the 27th AIPO General Assembly held in Cebu City, Philippines from 10th to 15th September 2006 which resolved to establish an AIPO Expert Working Group on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Persons;

Taking into cognizance Resolution Res.28GA/2007/Pol/05 on the Harmonization of Laws to Combat Trafficking in Persons adopted by the 28th AIPA General Assembly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 18th to 24th August 2007 which inter alia urged that the Expert Working Group on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Persons as proposed by the previous 27th AIPO General Assembly be immediately set up;

Noting the change in name of the institution from the ‘ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization’ or AIPO to the new name of ‘ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly’ or AIPA and hence the expert working group shall likewise be renamed as the AIPA Expert Working Group on Legal Cooperation to Combat the Trafficking in Persons;

Reasserting the seriousness and urgency of the problem of trafficking in persons in the ASEAN region and on the importance of legislators and parliaments in contributing to the prevention and prosecution of trafficking in persons and the protection of victims of trafficking;

Reiterating the need for establishing the expert working group and the need for the harmonization of AIPA legislations to combat the scourge;

Reaffirming the decision of the 27th AIPO General Assembly as contained in Resolution No. 27GA/06/Soc/01 that the expert working group shall:

1. Consist of representatives of AIPA members, special observers and other relevant parties. The expert working group is tasked with (i) assessing existing legal frameworks through common tools; (ii) developing a regional strategy on legal cooperation including information exchange and capacity building to prevent and combat trafficking in persons; and (iii) to report the above to the General Assembly. The working group will seek close cooperation with other relevant organizations active in the area such as UN agencies, other IOs and NGOs.

2. Promote the effectiveness of combating trafficking in persons through strengthening cooperation between AIPA and ASEAN.

3. Advise AIPA members, Special Observers and Observer Parliaments to:

a. review their legal frameworks related to trafficking in persons and develop specific legislation on trafficking in persons, based on a common understanding of what is involved in trafficking taking into consideration criteria laid down in the UN Protocol and the effective criminalization of all acts related to trafficking;

b. advocate, as appropriate, for their governments to accede to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol against Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children;

c. monitor and oversee the implementation of laws and regulations on combating trafficking in persons;

d. strengthen cooperation among legislative and executive bodies at national level in promoting the effectiveness of combating trafficking in persons.

4. Call on UN agencies and international organizations to provide technical support and funds to implement AIPA cooperation activities among legislative bodies to combat trafficking in persons.

Resolves to:

Adopt the Report on the Establishment of the AIPA Expert Working Group on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Persons dated 28th July 2008;

Declare that the AIPA Expert Working Group on Legal Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Persons has been established;

Decide that the expert working group shall meet at least once in a year till such time that it has accomplished it tasks, and that Member Countries take turn on a rotational basis and in alphabetical order to host it, and that Member Countries as well as the relevant parties that would be invited to participate shall meet the traveling and accommodation costs of their representatives while the host country would be responsible for providing only the conference facilities;

Decide further that the host country must not be the host of the General Assembly;

Endorse the Members of Parliaments, representatives and officials which have been nominated by Member Countries and Special Observers as forming the initial core group;

Instruct that the outcome thereof and recommendations of the meetings be presented to the Executive Committee for the consideration and adoption of the General Assembly;

Assign the AIPA Secretariat in consultation with the Member Country hosting the Expert Working Group to invite ASEAN representative(s) and other relevant parties to participate;

Decide that the first meeting of the Expert Working Group will be held at the appropriate time, and the outcome thereof and recommendations be presented to the Executive Committee for the consideration and adoption of the 30th AIPA General Assembly.

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12) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Soc/07 ON THE CONTROL OF SYNTHETIC DRUG AND ILLICIT DRUG CROP PRODUCATION

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling Resolution No. 26GA/2005/Soc/01 adopted by the 26th AIPO General Assembly on the AIPO Fact Finding Committee to Combat the Drug Menace;

Affirming the importance of strengthening national precursor control systems for the control of precursors, as a means to counter the diversion of chemical substances into illicit drug production or manufacture;

Considering the different profiles of drug abusers for each type of drugs, preventive education to target the various drug abuser profiles and cater to different audience groups;

Recognising the importance of putting in place adequate aftercare services to complement the initial treatment and rehabilitation efforts;

Recognising also the need for member countries to strengthen their national capacity to sustain alternative development programmes to prevent farmers from turning back to illicit crop cultivation;

Considering that ASEAN countries have already invested a lot of efforts at the legislative and operational levels to combat the drug menace, greater attention should be paid to enhancing legal cooperation among member countries in combating illicit drug trafficking;

Acknowledging the role of AIFOCOM in strengthening the exchange of information and expertise among member countries of AIPA and with ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) in preventing and combating the drug menace;

Hereby resolves to:

Urge ASEAN governments to strengthen precursor control by enhancing dialogue between precursor control authorities and the chemical/pharmaceutical companies in order to better monitor the manufacture, distribution, import and export of precursor chemicals;

Call upon ASEAN governments to develop national capacities and resources to carry out effective clandestine laboratory and precursor diversion investigations by putting in place appropriate training programmes for personnel in areas including safe handling and identification of precursor chemicals;

Urge ASEAN governments to enhance regulatory control of precursor chemicals by developing or strengthening national legislation, control procedures and compliance mechanisms in accordance with the requirements under the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, with the introduction of tougher penalties to deter would-be perpetrators of precursor diversion and trafficking;

Emphasise the need for ASEAN governments to enhance partnerships among the parliamentarians, public sector, the private sector, community groups such as the non government organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), the media and academic institutions, to further promote, implement and monitor preventive education activities that are audiences-targeted;

Call upon ASEAN governments to enhance partnerships among the public sector, the private sector and community groups such as the NGOs and CBOs in order to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of former drug abusers into society, for example, through providing training and job placement opportunities;

Emphasise the need for ASEAN governments which have implemented alternative development programmes to ensure the sustainability of the programmes by offering incentives, subsidies or other assistance to farmers for eradicating illicit narcotic crop cultivation;

Call upon ASEAN governments to strengthen their partnership with the private sector and civil society in order to support socio-economic development in areas where illicit drugs are produced, taking into account the role that the private sector and civil society can play in promoting and marketing products of alternative development;

Call upon ASEAN governments to review their legislation with a view to putting in place the necessary legal framework to facilitate mutual legal assistance as provided for under the ASEAN Treaty of Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, and to ratify the Treaty as soon as possible, with a view of harmonization of laws on combating the drug menace among ASEAN member countries;

Emphasise the need to strengthen cross-sectoral linkages and improve coordination among existing regional and extra-regional mechanisms by consulting and seeking assistance from other relevant ASEAN bodies on drug concerns.

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ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

13) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/01 ON SECRETARIAT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2007/2008

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14) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/02 ON FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE AIPA SECRETARIAT FOR THE PERIODS 1 JULY 2007 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2007, 1 OCTOBER 2006 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2007, 1 OCTOBER 2007 TO 30 JUNE 2008 AND ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE FOR 1 JULY 2008 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2008

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15) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/03 ON BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THE AIPA SECRETARIAT FOR THE PERIOD 1 OCTOBER 2008 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2009(FY 2008/2009)

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16) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/04 ON ASEAN PARLIAMENTARY TRAINING COOPERATION

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recognizing the ever-increasing need to enhance capacity of member parliaments of AIPA to fullfil their role in building up the ASEAN Community;

Mindful that the International Parliamentary Union and other regional parliaments in the world do organize parliamentary training as means of institutional development of those organizations;

Aware that parliamentary training activities exist within individual parliaments of AIPA in form of training courses or exchanges of good practices and experiences among the members of parliaments and in some parliaments there exist institution in charge of parliamentary training;

Recalling a number of efforts and discussion of AIPO in the past and AIPA recently on the need to search for an appropriate mechanism of implementation of AIPA resolutions in national member’s parliaments and AIPA training network might offer a forum for dissemination and advocacy for AIPA resolutions.

Resolves to:

Call on Member Parliaments to pay more attention to parliamentary training cooperation and come up with specific initiatives to create momentum for this process.

Encouraging Parliamentary training organs to exchange experience and best practice in their work to enhance capacity of parliamentarians in their respective countries.

Welcoming the proposal of Vietnam to host a seminar by the end of 2008 so as to discuss measures to enhance parliamentary training cooperation with the participation of AIPA member parliaments and their training organs.

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17) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/05 ON ESTABLISHMENT OF AIPA CAUCUS

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling Resolution No. Res.28GA/2007/Pol/03 on the Establishment of an AIPA Caucus adopted at the 28th AIPA General Assembly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 18th to 24th August, 2007 which underlined the need for establishing an AIPA Caucus that would serve as a mechanism to develop regular interaction among AIPA Member Countries as well as between AIPA and ASEAN; and that would utilize linkages, promote information sharing and exchanges with the mandate to develop common legislative initiative with the objective of the harmonization of AIPA legislation;

Taking into cognizance other relevant resolutions; namely, Res. 26GA/2005/Org/06 on the Work Program for the first year of operation of the AIPO Ad Hoc Committee on the Transformation of AIPO into a more effective and closely integrated institution which inter alia recommended that the Ad Hoc Committee shall formulate the terms of reference for common legislative initiatives and institutionalize a regular interaction between AIPA and ASEAN; Res. 27GA/06/Soc/02 on Cooperation in Fighting Diseases as the first test case toward the realization of common legislative initiatives; Resolution Res.28GA/2007/Pol/04 on the Harmonization of Laws to Combat the Drug Menace; and Resolution Res.28GA/2007/Pol/05 on the Harmonization of Laws to Combat Trafficking in Persons;

Reasserting the crucial contribution of parliaments to the building of an ASEAN Community, and that their voices should be heard and duly channelled;

Recognizing the importance of inviting representative(s) from ASEAN as well as other relevant parties to participate in the activities of the AIPA Caucus;

Resolves to:

Adopt the Report on the Establishment of an AIPA Caucus dated 6th August 2008;

Declare that the AIPA Caucus has been established, and shall hold its first gathering in 2009;

Assign the AIPA Caucus with the task of (i) assisting the Executive Committee in monitoring the status of implementation of the recommendations of AIPA Resolutions; (ii) formulating the terms of reference for common legislative initiatives by assessing existing legal frameworks through common tools and identifying areas which can be harmonized to facilitate regional cooperation in their enforcement; (iii) providing a platform for regular interaction amongst AIPA member countries and between AIPA and ASEAN; and (iv) considering possible linkages with other forums or caucuses that share similar interests and objectives with AIPA;

Reaffirm the recommendations of the 28th AIPA General Assembly as follows: (i) the membership of the AIPA Caucus shall consist of a core group of not more than three Members of Parliament from each Member Country, one representative each from Special Observer Countries, the Secretary-General of AIPA and one official each from the respective AIPA National Secretariats; (ii) it shall meet as often as necessary as directed by the President of AIPA and the outcome thereof including its recommendations, presented to the Executive Committee for the consideration and adoption of the General Assembly; and (iii) that AIPA Member Countries take turn on a rotational basis and in alphabetical order to host the AIPA Caucus with Member Countries meeting the travelling and accommodation costs of their respective representatives while the host country would be responsible for providing only the conference facilities;

Decide that the host country must not be the host of the General Assembly;

Endorse the Members of Parliaments, representatives and officials which had been nominated by Member Countries and Special Observers as forming the initial core group;

Agree that ASEAN representative(s) and other relevant parties be invited at their own expense to participate at the AIPA Caucus meetings, and for the ASEAN Representative(s) to convey the outcome thereof, including the recommendations of the meetings to the appropriate ASEAN committee(s) for executive consideration and implementation;

Decide that the AIPA Caucus shall hold its first meeting in 2009 with its outcome thereof including its recommendations to be presented to the Executive Committee for the consideration and adoption of the 30th General Assembly;

Approve that the first meeting of the AIPA Caucus be hosted in Malaysia in 2009, the date and venue of which to be ascertained by the host country in due course.

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18) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/06 ON EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE TO BRUNEI DARUSSALAM FOR ITS DONATION OF US$ 15,000.00 TO AIPA IN 2008

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Appreciative of the participation of Brunei Darussalam as a Special Observer in AIPA;

Noting the generous donations made by the Government of Brunei Darussalam to AIPA in the previous years;

Sincerely express its appreciation and gratitude to the Government of Brunei Darussalam for its continued support and generous donation of US$ 15,000.00 to AIPA in 2008.

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19) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/07 ON APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICES OF HIS EXCELLENCY ABDULLAH TARMUGI, PRESIDENT OF AIPA

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Noting that the term of office of His Excellency Abdullah Tarmugi as the President of AIPA will expire at the conclusion of the 29th AIPA General Assembly;

Recognizing and appreciating His Excellency Abdullah Tarmugi’s invaluable contribution to the success of AIPA during his term of office;

Sincerely express its appreciation and gratitude for his services to the organization and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.

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20) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/Org/08 ON DATE AND VENUE OF 30TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Twenty-Ninth General Assembly:

Considering that Chapter IV, Article 6 (3) of the Statutes of AIPA states that the venue of the General Assembly shall be by rotation in English alphabetical order of member parliaments;

Resolves that the 30th General Assembly shall be held from 2 to 8 August 2009 in Pattaya City, Thailand.

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WAIPA

21) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/WAIPA/01 ON WOMEN, POVERTY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Twenty Ninth General Assembly:

Recalling that the Declaration of the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region (1988) recognises the role of women in economic and social development and promotes the equitable and effective participation of women in all fields;

Recognising the importance of capacity-building activities to alleviate poverty and address the social dimensions of globalisation;

Being aware that women are disproportionately represented in the lower-income groups, and constitute a disproportionate section of the general population living in dire poverty in Asia;

Noting that inequitable economic development has inadvertently placed new burdens on women that have contributed to this growing proportion of women represented in the lower income groups and subsequently in the section of the general population living in poverty;

Acknowledging the subsequent vulnerability of women in economic development and its restructuring as a result of their disadvantaged position in terms of income;

Understanding that a rural-urban divide in terms of accessibility to resources such as healthcare, education, basic sanitation and other amenities accentuates the difficulties faced by women in poverty;

Affirming ASEAN’s commitment to eradicate the feminisation of poverty through initiatives that address the factors that relegate women to lower-income groups;

Reaffirming ASEAN’s commitment to promote women’s participation in economic and social development through the realisation of the Declaration of the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region (1988) and the objectives of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Hereby resolves to:

Address the manifold effects of economic development on women in terms of education, employment and economic opportunities for advancement, with the aim of eradicating the root causes of the feminisation of poverty;

Promote the advancement of women through government commitments and community-led initiatives to improve basic amenities including education, healthcare especially reproductive health of women and sanitation in rural areas;

Support ASEAN Member Countries’ initiatives for advancement of women in economic and social development through supporting women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and co-operatives;

Enhance cooperation among ASEAN Member Countries in provision of technical assistance and/or information and knowledge for the empowerment of women.

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22) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/WAIPA/02 ON WOMEN IN POWER AND THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY

The Twenty Ninth General Assembly:

Acknowledging that women are important change agents and have made essential contributions in decision-making and in exercising leadership in all fields;

Recognising the roles and capabilities of women leaders in strengthening national and regional resilience;

Emphasising the need for closer collaboration among ASEAN Member Countries to share their information, knowledge, skills, experiences and expertise;

Recalling that all ASEAN Member Countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);

Affirming ASEAN’s commitment to the promotion and implementation of equitable and effective participation for women in all fields and at all levels within its Member Countries.

Hereby resolves to:

Address stereotypes that discriminate against gender equality;

Advocate the implementation of policies, frameworks and/or programmes that improve gender mainstreaming;

Encourage the participation of women in the political, social and economic arena in order to enhance the advancement and contributions of women in leadership roles;

Enhance cooperation among ASEAN Member Countries by bringing together women leaders, policy and decision makers for the sharing and exchange of information, knowledge, skills, experience and expertise.

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23) RESOLUTION NO. Res 29GA/2008/WAIPA/03 ON COOPERATION AMONG WOMEN IN POLITICS AND SOCIO-ECONOMICS ACTIVITIES

The Twenty Ninth General Assembly:

Reaffirming the importance of women and their participation in politics with the increasing number of female participation at all levels of national and political decision-making;

Recognising positive progress of women’s participation in economic activities including small and medium entrepreneurship and access to macro credit;

Noting that ASEAN Member Countries are at different stages of women’s leadership and partnership in various aspects of societies;

Recognising that while much progress has been made in promoting women’s participation and leadership in political, social and economic activities, there remain common challenges such as domestic violence against women, trafficking in women, women living with HIV/AIDS and discrimination against women’s right and opportunities.

Hereby resolves to:

Encourage ASEAN Member Parliaments to adopt laws, strategies, action plans and national programmes on gender equality and for the advancement of women based on international principles of human rights such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);

Encourage AIPA Member Parliaments to actively supervise the implementation of laws and policies on gender equality and women’s rights; establish the working groups of female parliamentarians or groups of MPs with the view of creating forums for protection of women, and to share information;

Urge ASEAN Member Countries and AIPA Parliaments to help women at all levels to be aware of the importance of political participation and benefit when they participate in socio-political processes and to take effective measures to increase women’s involvement in political decision-making processes.

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