Report

On the Participation of the Canadian Delegation at the 29th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) held its 29th General Assembly from August 18 to 22, 2008, in Singapore. The Canadian Parliament, which has observer status to AIPA, sent a joint delegation of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group (CJIG) and the Canada-China Legislative Association (CCLA). The CCLA was represented by its Co-Chairs, the Honourable Joseph A. Day, Senator, and Mr. Bob Mills, M.P. The CJIG was represented by its Co-Chair, the Honourable Bryon Wilfert, P.C., M.P. The Secretary to the delegation was Mr. Paul Cardegna.

Conference activities

The Canadian delegation observed the First Plenary Session, which began with statements by the Honourable Abdullah Tarmugi, President of AIPA and Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, and the Honourable Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore. Statements were made by the leaders of the delegations from the eight AIPA member countries (Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia,  Republic of the Philippines, Kingdom of Thailand, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Singapore) as well as the two AIPA Special Observer Countries (Brunei Darussalam and Union of Myanmar).

Later, during the First Plenary Session, statements were made by the leaders of the delegations from the observer nations (Australia, Canada, People’s Republic of China, European Parliament, Japan, Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea and the Russian Federation). Mr. Bob Mills, M.P. and Co-Chair of the CCLA, made a statement on behalf of the Canadian delegation, the text of which is attached as Appendix A.

On the second day of the conference the Canadian delegation observed the delegates of the AIPA nations during the meetings of the Committee on Political Matters, the Committee on Economic Matters, the Committee on Social Matters and the Committee on Organizational Matters.

Each observer nation’s delegation participated in a dialogue meeting with representatives of the ASEAN member nations. The Canadian delegation met with their counterparts from the AIPA nations on Thursday, August 21, 2008 and discussed a wide range of issues. The agenda for the dialogue meeting was the following:

(a)       Regional Security

(b)       Economic and Trade Cooperation

(c)        Investment Opportunities

(d)       Environmental Issues

(e)       Information Technology Cooperation

(f)        Development Cooperation and Breakthrough of the Doha Round

(g)       Parliamentary Exchanges between AIPA Member Countries and Observer Countries

The dialogue was chaired by the Honourable Masagos Zulkifli B. M. M., Member of the Parliament of Singapore. His report summarizing the discussion’s main points was presented at the Second Plenary Session and is attached as Appendix B.

The Canadian delegation participated in the Second Plenary Session, which took place on the final day of the conference. During this session, all of the reports of the committees and observer dialogues were presented to and adopted by the plenary as well as the joint communiqué for the conference which is attached as Appendix C.

The 30th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) will be held in Pattaya City, Thailand from August 2-8, 2009.

Bilateral meetings

The Canadian delegation to the 29^th AIPA General Assembly also engaged in bilateral meetings with the delegations from Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam.

Indonesia:

The Canadian delegation welcomed the Indonesian delegation by noting that Indonesia is a key location for Canadian strategic investment in South East A sia and identified a strong interest in increasing parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. The two delegations discussed Indonesia’s bid to become President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Canadians resolved to speak to the Canadian Branch of the IPU in support of this endeavour. The delicate subject of the participation of Burma’s exiled parliamentarians at future AIPA meetings was raised, with the Indonesians identifying their support for the initiative. The Canadians expressed their frustration with the continued reluctance of the ASEAN nations to confront Burma’s human rights situation and the lack of democracy in that country. The Indonesians noted that they are interested in discussing the issue but have not received any support from other ASEAN nations. Finally, both delegations noted the importance of increased trade relations and investment as being mutually beneficial.

Japan:

The meeting began with each side noting that 2008 marked the 80^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada. Delegates from both countries greatly anticipated the planned visit of Emperor Akihito to Canada in 2009. The Canadian delegates acknowledged and appreciated Japan’s continued support for international initiatives aimed at combating terrorism, despite Japan’s constitutional prohibition from offensive military operations by its armed forces. Both sides agreed that Japan and Canada should work more closely together on peacekeeping initiatives and advocated a military attaché being assigned to the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa. Trade relations were also discussed in the context of the Framework Agreement signed in 2005, which the Canadians hope will lead to a free trade agreement (FTA) despite Japanese fears of an FTA’s effect on that country’s agricultural industry. Finally, climate change and the need to develop cleaner forms of energy technology were discussed.

Vietnam:

The Canadian delegation noted that 2008 was the 35^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada and that both countries shared a common desire to increase economic investment and joint ventures particularly with regards to environmental initiatives and tourism. The Vietnamese delegation discussed their desire to organize delegations of Vietnamese workers that would travel to Canada to enhance their skills. The Vietnamese government was working closely with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) on these initiatives. The Canadians noted that delegates and staff from the National Assembly of Vietnam had visited Canada to learn from about the Canadian Parliament and democracy. The delegates also discussed the continuing effect of climate change and Vietnam’s concerns about the coastal erosion which would result from rising sea levels. Both delegations believed that reducing greenhouse gas emissions was essential to prevent future ecological degradation.

Conclusion

The delegation felt that its participation at the conference gave it a better understanding of the issues facing ASEAN nations. The time spent with their ASEAN colleagues was an excellent opportunity for Canadian parliamentarians to forge and strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations with the nations of Southeast Asia.

 

Respectfully submitted,