Report

The Honourable Senator Yuen Pau Woo; Marcus Powlowski, MP; Blaine Calkins, MP; and Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, MP participated in the 43^rd General Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly from November 20 to 24, 2022, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They were joined by Grant McLaughlin, Executive Secretary of the Canada–China Legislative Association and the Canada–Japan Interparliamentary Group. ASEAN member countries take turns chairing the organization, which includes organizing and hosting various meetings, such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA)[1]. Canada has participated in these annual meetings on many occasions over the past 40 years, most recently at the virtual 42^nd and 41^st Assemblies in 2021 and 2020. The objectives of Canada’s involvement are to:

• maintain regular contact with member countries and discuss issues specific to the Asia-Pacific region;

• network with parliamentarians in the region;

• present the views of Canadian parliamentarians on various topics; and

• strengthen Canada’s international presence, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Of the 10 ASEAN member countries, eight sent delegations to the General Assembly: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries or regional governments that have observer status in the General Assembly, like Canada, were also present: Australia, Belarus, the European Parliament, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Timor-Leste and Ukraine. Also present this year were a few groups of researchers, and members of the AIPA and ASEAN secretariats. Lastly, Azerbaijan, Nepal and the U.S. Congress were also invited to attend. These three countries, along with Georgia, were elevated to observer status over the course of the Assembly.

Briefing by the office of the embassy of Canada to Cambodia

The delegation met with Jan Scazighino, the Canadian Chargé d’Affaires to Cambodia. Mr. Scazighino spoke about Canada–Cambodia relations, domestic developments in Cambodia and regional affairs, and provided an overview of the work of the Canadian mission in Cambodia.

1.The General Assembly and the official program   

Meeting between the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia and the heads of delegations

On the morning of November 21, prior to the official opening of the General Assembly, the heads of delegations were invited to a meeting with Mr. Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia. This meeting allowed Senator Woo to thank the hosts for their hospitality, briefly discuss Canada’s participation in the General Assembly with Mr. Samrin and reiterate the commitment of Canadian parliamentarians to Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. It was also an opportunity to meet the heads of delegations from the other countries participating in the event and build relationships with those parliamentarians from other countries. Several of these conversations continued during the three days of the General Assembly.

First plenary session

Following the General Assembly’s opening ceremony hosted by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, the first plenary session began the afternoon of November 21. ASEAN member countries delivered statements on behalf of their delegations, as did the observer countries. On behalf of the delegation, Senator Woo, the head of delegation for Canada, addressed the participants in the General Assembly on the significance of the relationship between Southeast Asia and Canada, referencing Prime Minister Trudeau’s recent meeting with ASEAN leaders and the new investments that were announced as part of these meetings. He stressed the importance of ASEAN centrality in Canada’s approach to the Indo-Pacific region and lauded the agreement for Canada and ASEAN to work towards a Strategic Partnership. Senator Woo also spoke on the many opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning, emphasizing the great importance of people-to-people ties in solidifying these connections. The speech was well received by all the other countries’ delegates, who congratulated Canada on its contribution.

Meeting of young parliamentarians of ASEAN

During the portion of the discussion dedicated to hearing from non-ASEAN members, Mr. Savard-Tremblay spoke about Canada and Quebec’s efforts to encourage and stimulate the participation of youth in all parts of the country’s society and the importance of international exchanges of all types to help develop greater understanding and empathy among citizens. His contributions were well-received and referenced in the Chair’s closing comments.

Second plenary session

The second plenary session took place on the mornings of November 23 and 24, followed by the closing ceremonies. During this session, the rapporteurs of the various committees presented the plenary assembly with the reports of their respective proceedings, debates and resolutions. This was followed by the representatives of the various member countries signing the joint communiqué that not only details the decisions taken, but also highlights the Annual Assembly’s achievements with regard to regional cooperation and solidarity.

Participation in the AIPA Annual Assembly helped Canadian delegates maintain contact with representatives from various countries, some of which participated in the Annual General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2022. It is also an opportunity for the Canada–Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group and the Canada–China Legislative Association to maintain regular contact with parliamentarians from Asian countries at times other than during co-chair visits and bilateral meetings, in a different context and with aims that vary from those usually observed during strictly bilateral meetings.

Dialogues with observer countries

This activity was the cornerstone of Canada’s participation in the General Assembly. On November 23, all observer countries had two hours to formally meet with representatives of the ASEAN member countries to discuss a specific topic. This year, the topic was “Investing in Peace, Sustainable Development and Post Covid-19 Recovery”, although the conversation the participants had was wide-ranging, covering this and many other topics.

It was agreed that Senator Woo would lead the conversation for the delegation, but all members were able to participate in the discussion. After the opening remarks from all sides, the conversation took a more general turn, also dealing with governance, climate financing and the green transition, the importance of improving efforts to better identify and respond to future pandemics, and the global challenges posed by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This engaging discussion allowed the Canada’s four delegates to express their views and reflect the diversity of perspectives both in Canada and among ASEAN member countries.

2. Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the official events    

As is generally the case, the Canadian delegates met with a variety of delegates, both officially and informally, in order to maximize the impact of Canada’s presence at AIPA.

Meeting with the delegates from the Republic of Korea

Among other topics raised at the meeting, the discussions focused on regional economic priorities, the importance of the Canada-South Korea relationship, opportunities for further collaboration and mutual learning, challenges posed by misinformation, and the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula. Both sides pointed to next year’s 60^th anniversary of bilateral relations as an opportunity to further enhance trade, investment, cultural, and people-to-people ties.

Meeting with the delegates from Ukraine

The delegation was pleased to meet with the representatives from Ukraine. The two sides had a frank and open conversation about the war in Ukraine and the many challenges their country faces due to the illegal Russian invasion. The delegates reaffirmed Canada’s ardent support of Ukraine and agreed to take any actions they could to buttress Ukrainian sovereignty.

Meeting with the delegates from Indonesia

The delegation began by expressing their condolences for the recent earthquake in Java. The two sides discussed the preparations for next year’s AIPA meetings in Indonesia and the delegation reiterated Canada and the Canadian Parliament’s dedication to ASEAN and AIPA, asking for advice on how best to continue developing the Canada-ASEAN relationship. Finally, the delegations considered the challenges posed by climate change and the best ways to collaborate on this issue.

Meeting with the delegates from Japan

Given the number of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, the discussions centred on peace and security in the region, notably in Ukraine, northeast Asia, and on the Korean peninsula, bilateral and regional economic and trade opportunities, and Canada’s forthcoming Indo-Pacific strategy.

Meeting with the delegates from Norway

The Norwegian delegation expressed an interest in speaking with the members of the Canadian delegation to gain a better understanding of the AIPA observer role. The 43^rd AIPA was Norway’s first opportunity to participate in-person in their capacity as an observer parliament and they were eager to discuss and share experiences with Canada. The two delegations also connected on their countries’ liked-minded interests and discussed the possibilities on collaborating on side-events at future AIPA meetings.

Meeting with the delegates from Singapore

The discussions were wide-ranging, covering such topics as the opportunities to strengthen the ties between Canada and Singapore, current opportunities and challenges facing ASEAN nations, food and energy security, and efforts to combat climate change, including the green economy.

In conclusion, Canada’s participation in the 43^rd ASEAN General Assembly allowed parliamentarians to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to the member countries. It also allowed the delegates to meet parliamentarians from the Asia-Pacific region, and other parts of the world, as well as engage in productive discussions that were beneficial to Canada and its diplomatic outreach internationally. The 44^th General Assembly will be held in Indonesia, and it will be important for Canada to participate in order to build on what was accomplished at this year’s meetings.

Respectfully submitted,