More than 350 delegates from member nations have registered to attend the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26), heard a press conference in Hanoi on January 17.

At the press conference

Nguyen Van Giau, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Committee for External Relations, said at the press conference that Vietnam is hosting the APPF-26 to build on the success of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017 in Da Nang via the parliamentary channel.

Vietnam is now ready for the meeting, said Giau, who is also deputy head of the APPF-26 organising committee.

The APPF-26 will be held in Hanoi from January 18-21 under the theme of “Parliamentary partnership for peace, innovation and sustainable development”.

The annual meeting consists of a meeting of women parliamentarians, which will focus on promoting gender equality for sustainable development and shared prosperity. It also features four plenary sessions on the topics of politics-security, economy-trade, regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific, and the future of APPF. 

Thirty-four bilateral meetings are scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the APPF-26. 

By January 16, 11 participating APPF members submitted 44 draft resolutions, including six from Vietnam. By the end of its course, the meeting is expected to adopt resolutions and issue the Hanoi Declaration.

The APPF was officially formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 1993. The forum now gathers 27 members, namely Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam.

The mechanism aims to directly assist the APEC, contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region. 

The APPF 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.

APPF-26 promotes partnership for peace, innovation, sustainable development

Logo of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26)

The 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26), which is taking place in Hanoi from January 18-21, will have an important mission of orienting member parliaments towards a shared future of bringing practical benefits for their countries and people. 

Do Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Office and head of the subcommittee for APPF-26 information and communication has stated in an article on the purpose and meaning of the forum.

The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)’s hosting of the annual event aims to proactively realise the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification , multilateralisation of relations, active integration into global economy, maintaining peaceful and stable environment, creating favourable conditions to the national construction and protection as well as strengthening Vietnam’s position and prestige in the international arena. 

Also, the organisation of the event is a highlight in the NA’s foreign affairs, making significant contributions to the nation’s diplomatic achievements, he noted.

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the APPF’s annual meeting after the 13th version in Quang Ninh province, in January 2005, showing the Vietnamese NA’s role and responsibility in the APPF while popularising images of the NA as a renovated, dynamic, active and responsible one in the eyes of international friends.

The APPF was established on March 15, 1993, with the purpose of building trust among parliaments in the Asia-Pacific via the enhancement of dialogues between regional parliamentarians, thus contributing to regional peace, sustainability and prosperity.

The forum has become an important inter-parliamentary forum which gathers 27 member parliaments: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the RoK, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam.

Particularly, in the context of deeper globalisation, together with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the APPF has affirmed its role as a crucial dialogue and cooperation mechanism among regional nations.

APPF and Vietnam’s participation

VNA