Report

From 15-19 January 2017, four Canadian parliamentarians attended the 25th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF). The meeting was hosted by the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji. The Honourable Joseph A. Day, Senator, led the delegation, which included Mr. Geng Tan, M.P., Mr. Blaine Calkins, M.P., and Dr. Alice Wong, M.P. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. David Chandonnet, Executive Secretary, and Ms. Natalie Mychajlyszyn, Advisor. Canadian participation in the APPF is organized jointly by two parliamentary associations: the Canada-China Legislative Associationand the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group.

Overview of the APPF

The Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) brings together parliamentarians from across the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, 27 national parliaments of the following states are 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, Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States of America, and Vietnam. Canada is a founding member of the APPF, and hosted the 5th and the 24th Annual Meetings in Vancouver in 1997 and 2016, respectively.

As a regional parliamentary forum, the APPF is a mechanism that enables parliamentarians to discuss issues of common concern, to deepen their understanding of the region as well as the interests and experiences of its diverse countries in order to further regional cooperation and to build relationships between and among parliamentarians from its member countries. The forum’s proceedings are generally organized according to debates on a range of issues and include the adoption of a joint communiqué and resolutions.

The APPF was founded with the encouragement of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who is the APPF Honourary President. The inaugural meeting was held in Tokyo in 1993.

As the APPF does not have permanent staff, the host parliament serves as the APPF’s secretariat for a one-year term beginning in May in the year preceding the Annual Meeting to be hosted by that parliament until the following April. These responsibilities primarily include the development of the program and the draft agenda for the upcoming Annual Meeting, in consultation with the Executive Committee. The APPF President, who is appointed by the host parliament to represent the APPF during its one-year mandate, directs the implementation of these functions. The host parliament is selected on the basis of discussion among the APPF member states.

In accordance with the APPF’s Rules of Procedure, matters relevant to the management of the APPF are the responsibility of an Executive Committee. It is comprised of representatives of two countries from each of the APPF’s sub-regions: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Members are appointed for four-year terms; elections for half of the positions are held at the Annual Meeting one year, and for the other half in the second year. The current and upcoming host countries are also members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is advised by the Honourary President. It is chaired by the APPF President and convenes prior to the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting to make decisions relating to the approval of the agenda, including the draft resolutions submitted for consideration, the establishment of the Drafting Committee and designating its Chair, and the formation of relevant Working Groups. The Executive Committee also confirms the host parliament of the next Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting is described as the APPF’s “highest decision-making organ.” Its agenda identifies topics that will be the focus of Plenary Sessions that are organized along general themes typically relating to political and security matters; economic and trade matters; regional cooperation; and the APPF. In addition to the plenary debates, the substantive work of the parliamentary delegations at the Annual Meetings entails consideration and adoption of resolutions on various topics relevant to the member parliaments. Any participating delegation may submit a draft resolution(s). Draft resolutions are submitted prior to a deadline set by the host parliament. At the Annual Meeting, they are examined by the Drafting Committee or, in instances where multiple draft resolutions have been submitted on the same or similar topics, by one of any number of Working Groups that are established at the Annual Meeting. The Working Groups are tasked with reviewing those resolutions that have common themes and consolidating them for the Drafting Committee’s consideration. The Drafting Committee and the Working Groups carry out their decisions on the basis of consensus. Representatives from all delegations can participate in the Drafting Committee and each Working Group. Meetings of the Drafting Committee and Working Groups take place concurrent to the Plenary Sessions. The Drafting Committee also finalizes the Annual Meeting’s Joint Communiqué. The final resolutions and Joint Communique are adopted by the plenary at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.

The 25th Annual Meeting

The 25th Annual Meeting of the APPF was held in Natadola, Fiji from 15‑19 January 2017. Representing the host parliament, the APPF President was Honourable Dr. Jiko Luveni, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji. The Annual Meeting was attended by 134 parliamentary delegates from 19 member parliaments.

The overarching theme for the 25th Annual Meeting was Parliamentary Partnerships for Peace and Security: SDG [Sustainable Development Goal] 16. The program included a meeting of the Executive Committee and four plenary sessions on sixteen specific aspects of the overarching theme. It also included consideration of 38 draft resolutions on a variety of themes, including Gender Equality, Youth, Peace and Security, Border Control, Human and Drug Trafficking, Economic Development and Trade, Poverty Alleviation, Food Security, Social Media in Civic Participation, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Conservation and Sustainable Development. The draft resolutions were finalized and consolidated into 21 final resolutions by five working groups as well as the Drafting Committee, and adopted at the final session of the Annual Meeting’s plenary together with the 25th APPF Joint Communiqué. In addition, following the initiative taken by the Parliament of Canada when it hosted the 24th Annual Meeting, a Meeting of Women Parliamentarians was included in the program.

Throughout the proceedings, the four members of the Canadian delegation addressed matters pertinent to Canadian foreign policy. Canadian delegates also engaged in dialogue with their counterparts on a range of issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region, and held separate bilateral meetings with the delegations from Cambodia and Mexico.

A.  Meeting of Women Parliamentarians

This was the second Meeting of Women Parliamentarians convened at an Annual Meeting of the APPF. The inaugural meeting took place in Vancouver at the 24th Annual Meeting and accordingly was a priority activity of the Canadian delegation. Parliamentarians from fourteen countries participated in the discussions: Fiji, Canada, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Chile, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Russia, and the Philippines. The key note address was delivered by Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, the Honourable Mereseini Vuniwaqa. The discussions focused on a range of topics of importance to women parliamentarians, and on gender equality more broadly. Particular attention was paid to strategies and best practices for enhancing women’s participation in political and public life. The meeting also considered a draft resolution co-sponsored by the Indonesian and Australian delegations on the topic of gender equality and enhancing women’s and girls’ empowerment in the Asia-Pacific region. The draft resolution generated considerable debate about the method by which the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians would be included as a regular item on the agenda of future Annual Meetings. The draft resolution was submitted for further consideration by the appropriate Working Group to be created by the Executive Committee.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians was attended by Senator Joseph Day and Dr. Alice Wong, M.P. Dr. Wong delivered a statement on behalf of the Canadian delegation. She shared information relating to the proportion of women in political offices at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, as well as in leadership positions among Canada’s First Nations. She stressed the importance of each country considering its particular challenges and finding solutions that reflect those specific circumstances, all while meeting in fora such as the APPF to move towards the shared objective of gender equality and a higher rate of women participating in politics in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the consideration of the draft resolution on gender equality and enhancing women’s and girl’s empowerment, Dr. Wong proposed an amendment that encouraged future host parliaments of the Annual Meeting of the APPF to include the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians as an agenda item.

B.  Executive Committee

The business of the Executive Committee was undertaken by its current members:

• Republic of Korea and Mongolia (Northeast Asia);
• Indonesia and Cambodia (Southeast Asia);
• New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (Oceania);
• Chile and Costa Rica (the Americas);
• Fiji (host of the 25th Annual Meeting of the APPF); and,
• Japan (appointed by the Honorary President).

The outcome of the Executive Committee meeting included:

• approval of the Agenda for the 25th Annual Meeting;
• agreement to include a Meeting of Women Parliamentarians at future Annual Meetings, pending consideration of possible amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the APPF to do so;
• report of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians at the 25th Annual Meeting;
• review of the vacancies on the Executive Committee and nominations of new members; and,
• confirmation of the organization of the Drafting Committee and Working Groups.

Vietnam was confirmed as the host parliament of the 26th Annual Meeting in January 2018, and Cambodia for the 27th Annual Meeting in January 2019. Russia was confirmed as the second country on the Executive Committee representing Northeast Asia to replace South Korea, and Laos to replace Cambodia representing Southeast Asia.

The Canadian delegation represented the Americas on the Executive Committee on behalf of the Costa Rican delegation in light of its absence from the 25th Annual Meeting. Separately, given that Costa Rica’s term on the Executive Committee was ending, Canada was confirmed as the second country from the Americas with a four year mandate expiring in 2021. Canada previously served on the Executive Committee as host of the 24th Annual Meeting.

Activities of the Canadian delegation:

Senator Joseph Day was nominated and approved as Chair of the Drafting Committee. He provided an overview of the draft resolutions that had been submitted by member countries, as well as the schedule and process that would be followed by the Drafting Committee and Working Groups in consideration of those 38 items. Senator Day also assisted the APPF President during the meeting of the Executive Committee.

C.  Plenary Sessions

The Plenary Sessions of the 25th Annual Meeting were chaired by the Honourable Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, and co-chaired by the Honourable Alexander O’Connor and Honourable Mikaele Leawere. Four plenary sessions were organized related to the 25th Annual Meeting’s theme, Parliamentary Partnerships for Peace and Security: SDG 16, during which delegations attending the 25th Annual Meeting exchanged perspectives on 16 related topics:

1.0 Political and Security Matters

• Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls
• Strengthening systems of border control and monitoring to combat human and drug trafficking
• Ensuring effective succession planning including education for leaders of a new generation
• Peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region and the international community

2.0 Economic and Trade Matters

• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC Report 2016)
• Promoting sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region
• Poverty alleviation – championing the SDGs to achieve the 2030 agenda
• Promoting food security in the Asia-Pacific region
• Role of social media in civic participation

3.0 Regional Cooperation

• Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact
• Promoting the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, oceans, seas and marine resources
• Cooperation and practical approaches that parliaments and knowledge institutions in the region can take for sustainable development
• Developing regional and sub-regional strategies on combating non-communicable diseases
• Disaster risk reduction

4.0 The APPF

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

In addition to attending the Plenary Sessions, Canadian delegates actively participated in the discussions on six of the 14 topics. During the discussion on gender equality, Dr. Alice Wong, M.P. highlighted the contribution that the APPF can make to empower women and girls across the region, particularly as a forum for exchanging best practices. She noted the region’s diversity of experiences, and presented information regarding the challenges Canadian women face in political, entrepreneurial and related leadership roles. She encouraged the APPF delegations to include a proportionate number of women while calling on future host parliaments of the APPF to include a Meeting of Women Parliamentarians in the agenda of the Annual Meeting.

With respect to the topic of preparing the leaders of a new generation of global citizens, Dr. Wong emphasized the role that education cooperation between Asia-Pacific countries can play in building up key experiences valuable to future leaders. In particular, such experiences strengthen mutual understanding as well as develop skills that are essential for an increasingly globalized world and evolving economic conditions. She presented highlights from Canada’s international education strategy, and the two-way benefits that are gained when Canadian institutions receive international students and Canadian students study abroad.

Mr. Blaine Calkins, M.P. participated in the debate on peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. He focused his remarks on the urgent situation on the Korean peninsula and the violation of human rights in North Korea. He noted that peace on the peninsula cannot be fully achieved until human rights are entirely respected and protected. In addition, he expressed concern about North Korea’s ongoing nuclear proliferation activities as evidenced in the conduct of a sixth nuclear test in September 2016. He called on the APPF to adopt a robust resolution that condemns North Korea’s actions as threats to international peace and security.

Mr. Geng Tan, M.P. and Dr. Wong both participated in the discussion on promoting sustainable economic growth in the region. Mr. Tan emphasised the momentum generated by the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on climate change to achieve the goals of a world free of poverty and hunger, with full and productive employment, quality education, universal health coverage, gender equality and an end to environmental degradation. In this context, he highlighted the links between sustainable development, the effects of climate change around the world, and the importance of promoting and developing clean energy and clean technology. He encouraged member parliaments to ratify the relevant international conventions, and to consider the role of public investment, business incentives, infrastructure programs, public-private partnerships, and education in addressing these issues.

Dr. Wong approached the discussion on economic growth from the perspective of innovation and connectivity. In this respect, innovation and connectivity can be transformational for improving the productivity of a country’s economy as well as its quality of life. Accordingly, governments, including the Government of Canada, have an important role to play in supporting such initiatives and in investing in research and development. She also emphasized the role that governments can play in improving connectivity as a key driver of innovation and in integrating micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in these strategies.

Dr. Wong also participated in the discussion on cooperation and practical approaches to sustainable development. She focused her remarks on the importance of anti-corruption efforts in order to strengthen transparency and good governance, which are necessary to advance economic prosperity and sustainable development. She shared recent examples of Canada’s experience in combatting corruption, and particularly money laundering. Dr. Wong highlighted the role that parliamentarians, as instruments of good governance, play in in the development, implementation and monitoring of anti-corruption policies and legislation.

During the discussion in the final plenary session on the outcome of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, Dr. Wong reiterated her support on behalf of the Canadian delegation for the inclusion of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians in future Annual Meetings of the APPF.

D.  Draft Resolutions and Working Groups

Delegations from 11 member parliaments (Australia, Chile, Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand) submitted 38 draft resolutions for consideration at the 25th Annual Meeting. These drafts covered a wide range of topics, including: Gender Equality, Succession Planning including Education for New Leaders, Peace and Security, Border Control, Human and Drug Trafficking, Economy and Trade, Poverty Alleviation, Food Security, Social Media in Civic Participation, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Conservation and Sustainable Development.

Of these, 27 were submitted to one of five Working Groups that were established with the task of consolidating texts of multiple draft resolutions submitted on the same theme. These working groups were: Border Control, Human Trafficking and Peace and Security; Economy, Trade and Sustainable Development; Food Security and Disaster Risk Management; Climate Change and Conservation; Gender Equality. Ultimately, the activities of the Working Groups resulted in 10 drafts that were submitted to the Drafting Committee for a final examination. The meetings of the Working Groups were held concurrent to the Plenary Sessions and meetings of the Drafting Committee.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

The Canadian delegation submitted two draft resolutions: Ensuring Sustainable Development and Achieving Peace and Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Mr. Geng Tan, M.P. took responsibility on behalf of the Canadian delegation to navigate the APPF’s examination of the draft resolution on Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development. In this respect, draft resolutions with similar content were also submitted by Russia and Chile; therefore, the Working Group on Economy, Trade and Sustainable Development was tasked with consolidating the three drafts into one agreed version. With agreement among the other delegates to use the Canadian version as the basis for discussions, Mr. Tan moderated the Working Group. The delegations attending the Working Group agreed on a single text and the co-sponsored draft resolution was submitted to the Drafting Committee for finalization.

Mr. Blaine Calkins, M.P. represented the Canadian delegation in steering the draft resolution on Achieving Peace and Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula for approval by the APPF. Draft resolutions on the same theme were also submitted by Japan and South Korea. The Working Group on Border Control, Human Trafficking and Peace and Security met with the aim of consolidating the drafts into a new joint text. Mr. Calkins moderated the discussions, which used the draft submitted by South Korea as the base text. Delegates attending the meeting, including a representative of the Chinese delegation, achieved a consolidated draft resolution that was co-sponsored by South Korea, Japan and Canada; however, deliberations related to the inclusion of language from the Canadian draft resolution relating to human rights violations in North Korea were inconclusive. The working group agreed to submit the consolidated draft with the reference to North Korea’s human rights violations to the Drafting Committee for its final determination.

Dr. Alice Wong, M.P. moderated two Working Groups on Gender Equality and on Disaster Risk Management. In the first instance, she actively facilitated deliberations of multiple draft texts submitted by Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Mexico on the topics of gender equality and empowerment, meriting Canada a place as a co-sponsor of the final draft submitted to the Drafting Committee. Members of the New Zealand delegation also participated in these deliberations. In the second instance, Dr. Wong guided the discussions on a single agreed text between the delegations from Japan and Chile, both having sponsored draft resolutions on Disaster Risk Reduction. Members of other delegations, including Indonesia and Fiji, also participated in the discussions.

E.  Drafting Committee

Over the course of three days, the work of the Drafting Committee focused on a detailed examination of 21 draft resolutions and the draft Joint Communiqué. Members of various delegations actively participated in the deliberations, including Australia, New Zealand, Russia, China, Mexico, Chile, Indonesia, Fiji, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

As Chair of the Drafting Committee, Senator Joseph Day presided over the deliberation of the 21 draft resolutions submitted for consideration and finalization. Mr. Geng Tan, M.P., Dr. Alice Wong, M.P., and Mr. Blaine Calkins, M.P. also actively participated in the meetings of the Drafting Committee.

Text proposed by the Canadian delegation regarding the draft resolutions on Peace on the Korean Peninsula and Gender Equality and Empowerment generated a high level of debate. In the first instance, the Drafting Committee agreed to include Canada’s suggested preambulary paragraph that all states are obliged to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as its proposed operative paragraph referring to international concerns about the humanitarian conditions and welfare of the North Korean people, in exchange for the removal of Japan’s paragraph urging the return of foreign national abductees.

In the second instance, Canada’s proposed amendment encouraging future host parliaments of the Annual Meeting to include the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians as an agenda item resulted in discussion about the mechanisms available to make the meeting a permanent fixture. This discussion was focused in particular on the modalities of formally amending the APPF’s Rule of Procedure as proposed by the Indonesian delegation. Ultimately, following Senator Day’s guidance, the Drafting Committee agreed that the short-time frame for considering such a proposal did not allow for its proper consideration. Instead, the Drafting Committee concluded that member parliaments are committed to include a Meeting of Women Parliamentarians as they will be signing the Joint Communiqué from the 25th Annual Meeting.

F.  List of Final Resolutions and Joint Communiqué

Following the report and motion from Senator Day in his capacity as Chair of the Drafting Committee, the Annual Meeting concluded with the Plenary’s adoption of 21 resolutions covering peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, economic growth, sustainable development, disaster risk management, gender equality and women’s empowerment, violence against women, food security, border management, civil engagement and the social media, terrorism and violent extremism, regional trade cooperation, and parliamentary cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

All of the delegations participating at the 25th Annual Meeting of the APPF adopted and signed the Joint Communiqué. Among other points, the Joint Communiqué summarized the discussions that took place in the Plenary sessions on issues relating to political and security matters; economic and trade developments; and opportunities for strengthening regional cooperation. Of particular importance is that it also commits the member parliaments at the next Annual Meeting of the APPF to form a Working Group that considers an amendment to the Rule of Procedure in order to provide for the inclusion of a Meeting of Women Parliamentarians as part of each Annual Meeting.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation

The efforts of the Canadian delegation are reflected in the Plenary’s adoption of three resolutions which Canada co-sponsored: Peace on the Korean Peninsula, Ensuring Sustainable Development, and Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls: Increasing the Political, Economic and Social Participation of Women.

G.  Additional Activities of the Canadian Delegation

The Canadian delegation held two separate bilateral meetings with the delegations from Mexico and Cambodia. The discussions during the bilateral meeting with the Mexican delegation were wide-ranging and touched on a number of issues of mutual interest, including the future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the recent presidential election in the United States, and the future of North American cooperation. Delegates also discussed the importance of strengthening CanadaMexico bilateral relations, notably with respect to inter-parliamentary exchanges.

During the bilateral meeting with the Cambodian delegation, the two sides discussed the benefits of parliamentary diplomacy. They also exchanged views about regional developments, the importance of strengthening Canada’s cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which Cambodia is one of ten members, and potential opportunities regarding bilateral partnerships on youth engagement, education cooperation, parliamentary and public sector training, trade in agriculture, and the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Conclusion

The Canada-China Legislative Association and Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group attach great importance to the work of the APPF, of which the Canadian Parliament is a founding member. The APPF enables Canadian parliamentarians to build relationships with their counterparts from across the Asia-Pacific, in a forum where they can work together to address the issues facing the region today. The Canadian delegation had a particularly active and high profile at the 25th Annual Meeting, playing roles as Chair of the Drafting Committee, moderating Working Groups, contributing to the discussions on several topics in the plenary sessions, taking a leadership role in the proceedings of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, and co-sponsoring three resolutions adopted by the assembly. Canadian parliamentarians look forward to participating in the 26th Annual Meeting of the APPF in Vietnam in January 2018.

Respectfully submitted,