THE 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF31), hosted by the Philippine Congress, on Saturday culminated on a high note with the historic adoption of all 10 resolutions proposed and endorsed by the working committees and signing of the Joint Communiqué.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez considered the historic signing as consistent with the APPF31’s theme of “Resilient Partnerships for Peace, Prosperity, and Sustainability,” “Coming from various countries, we may have some differences and disagreements, but in truth, these are far outnumbered and outweighed by the things we hold in common, the areas and opportunities of mutual collaboration, and the growth which together we can vigorously pursue.”
He also emphasized the significance of alliance and cooperation among member-parliaments, especially with the ever-widening array of challenges confronting the region. “Collectively, we were able to discuss and deliberate substantially a whole wide range of urgent regional concerns. And in the end, we were able to adopt a worthwhile resolution that can help our region attain much higher growth and stability,” he said.
Speaker Romualdez, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., and Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa signed the Joint Communiqué on behalf of the Philippine delegation.
It contains the adopted resolutions that embody the consensus of member-parliaments on 1) Combatting Transnational Crimes, 2) Women’s Participation and Leadership, 3) Gender and Sustainable Development Goals, 4) Critical Infrastructure, 5) Universal Health Care, 6) Climate Action, 7) Education and Culture, 8) Korean Peninsula, 9) Regional Peace and Stability, and 10) Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth. This demonstrated the member-parliaments’ strong determination to tackle regional challenges in the current era of transformation.
The delegates emphasized the need to enhance cooperative efforts, and seek collaborative solutions to issues that are vital for enhancing regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Meanwhile, Speaker Romualdez reiterated the country’s agenda this year: 1) to amend the APPF Rules of Procedure to formally include Young Parliamentarians as a permanent part of the APPF; 2) to solicit support from the APPF member-countries for the Philippines’ candidature to the United Nations (UN) Security Council; and 3) to establish a permanent APPF Secretariat.
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