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

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the APPF’s annual meeting. It first organized the 13th version in Ha Long city, northern coastal Quang Ninh province, in January 2005. At this meeting, Vietnam proposed an initiative on cooperation to overcome consequences of earthquakes and tsunamis, winning approval from participating countries.

At the hand-over ceremony of the APPF Chair for the 2017-2018 tenure from Fiji to Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2017, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam NA Tong Thi Phong made clear that the Vietnamese legislature highly values activities and agenda of the APPF. 

Since joining the APPF in January 1995, the Vietnam NA has constructively participated in the forum’s activities, as reflected through its presence in all annual APPF meetings, and numerous proposals, many of which were accepted and included in meetings’ documents. 

At the APPF-14 in Indonesia in 2006, the joint declaration and other documents of the meeting contained Vietnam’s recommendations on enhancing collaboration between parliaments and governments of Asia-Pacific countries as well as between APPF and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, providing direct support for APEC activities, contributing to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, and expanding partnerships between the APPF and other parliamentary organisations of the world in order to increase mutual understanding between continents. 

Meanwhile, during the APPF-18 in Singapore, Vietnam raised initiatives regarding climate change and an exclusive resolution on climate change sponsored by six countries, including Vietnam, was adopted at the meeting. 

At the APPF-19 in Mongolia in 2011, Vietnam’s initiatives in climate change response and the implementation of the UN millennium development goals (MDGs) received approval of many participating parliaments and were adopted as one of official documents of the event. 

The APPF was officially formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 1993, through the adoption of the Tokyo Declaration. 

The forum now gathers 27 members: 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.

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.-VNA