Publication
Report of the Executive Meeting
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE 33RD AIPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
9 JULY 2012, HYATT REGENCY HOTEL
YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
1. The AIPA Executive Committee (Excom) Meeting was convened on 9 July 2012 to prepare in advance the Agenda for the 33rd AIPA General Assembly (GA). This is in accordance with Article 9, paragraph 2 of the AIPA Statute, which states that "The Executive Committee may meet at least 3 (three) months prior to the General Assembly to prepare the program, agenda and other relevant matters pertaining to the General Assembly." It was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Opening Ceremony
2. Prior to the actual meeting, an opening ceremony was held on 9 July 2012 at 9.00 a.m. at the Bromo Ballroom of Hyatt Regency Hotel Yogyakarta attended by all delegates.
3. During the ceremony, Secretary General Antonio V. Cuenco thanked Indonesia for hosting the ExCom months prior to the 33rd GA, saying it gave members the opportunity to go over and deliberate on the Agenda items thoroughly. He hoped that succeeding host countries would follow Indonesia’s lead. The full text of the Secretary General’s remarks is attached as Annex A.
4. His Excellency Sri Paduka Paku Alam IX, Deputy Governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta, delivered a welcome message on behalf of His Excellency Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, Governor of Yogyakarta. His Excellency also welcomed the delegates to the city and highlighted the importance of this meeting due to alarming danger of drug abuse and introduced the Ghrasia Hospital, an established rehabilitation centre in Yogyakarta. Remarks is attached as Annex B.
5. His Excellency Dr. Marzuki Alie, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives and President of AIPA, delivered opening remarks and officially opened the meeting.
The Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives opened his remarks by welcoming all the Speakers of Parliaments of AIPA, Heads of Delegations and Members of AIPA Parliamentary Delegations to the Yogyakarta Special Region. He also briefly outlined that Yogyakarta is indeed a special region due to its important history in Indonesian struggle toward independence and rich cultural heritage that have been considered as world heritage.
The Executive Committee Meeting was convened two months before the General Assembly of AIPA in accordance to the AIPA Statute article 9 paragraph (2) that state “The Executive Committee may meet at least 3 (three) months prior to the General Assembly to prepare the program, agenda and other relevant matters pertaining to the General Assembly”. Hence, convening months prior to the General Assembly have provided sufficient time to understand and consider key issues and various other items that will be included in the agenda of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly in September 2012. It is within his opinion that AIPA should start the tradition of going into a more in-depth comprehension on issues of common interest that will influence the transformation of AIPA together with ASEAN to achieve the goal of establishing ASEAN Community in 2015.
He emphasized the role of parliamentarians as intermediaries between people and the state administration, and AIPA’s responsibilities to ensure the achievement of ASEAN goals. The agreements reached by ASEAN Leaders during the recent 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2011, will need to be ratified and to be supported in their implementation at the grass roots level. Therefore, he encouraged the participants to engage in more meaningful dialogues, which discuss about actual issues of common concern. For instance, to establish a common and harmonized legal framework among ASEAN Countries during each meeting between AIPA and ASEAN.
He also stressed on the importance to include dialogue agenda with the observer countries as warmer cooperation between AIPA members and parliaments of observer countries would enhance government to government cooperation and people to people inter action.
He expected that 9th AIFOCOM would result in more effective, workable and innovative ideas to address ever increasing drugs menace and drug trafficking. Parliamentarians of AIPA should establish a common legal framework and policies to handle and prevent crimes. He also encouraged the establishment of a task force comprises of parliamentarians, academicians, bureaucrats, law enforcers and anti-drug activists as a mean to overcome the growth of drugs trafficking.
The full text of H.E. Marzuki Alie’s opening remarks is attached as Annex C.
Attendance
6. The Executive Committee Meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr. Marzuki Alie, President of AIPA/Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, and attended by delegations from AIPA Member Parliaments. Brunei Darussalam was led by H.E. Pehin Dato Haji Judin Haji Asar (Head of Delegation); Cambodia was led by H.E. Samdech Heng Samrin (President of National Assembly); Indonesia was led by Hon. Dr. Surahman Hidayat (Chairman of the Committee for Inter Parliamentary Cooperation); Lao PDR was led by Hon. Prof. Dr. Phonethep Pholsena (Member of Standing Committee/Chairman of the Committee on Social Cultural Affairs)); Malaysia was led by H.E. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Mulia (Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat); Myanmar was led by H.E. Mr. Khin Aung Myint (Speaker of the Parliament); Philippines was led by Hon. Mr. Vicente F. Belmonte, Jr. (Chairman of Committee of Dangerous Drug of Philippines Congress); Singapore was led by H.E. Mr. Charles Chong (Deputy Speaker of Singapore Parliament); Thailand was led by H.E. Mrs. Pornthip Lowira Chanratanapreeda (Second Vice President of the Senate); and Viet Nam was led by Hon. Tran Van Hang (Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee).
7. The complete list of delegations is attached as Annex D.
Order of Business
8. The meeting agreed on the appointment of His Excellency Pehin Dato Haji Judin Haji Asar (Brunei Darussalam HOD) as Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee Meeting and Hon. Dr. Surahman Hidayat (Chairman of the Committee for Inter Parliamentary Cooperation) as Rapporteur of the Executive Committee Meeting. The Meeting adopted the Agenda and the Program of Activities of the Executive Committee Meeting as per Annex E.
Presentation of Reports by the President of AIPA (H.E. Dr. Marzuki Alie)
9. The Executive Committee Meeting welcomed the presentation of the following reports on (Annex F):
(a) The Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 16 – 20 January 2012;
(b) The 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 3 April 2012;
(c) The Working Visit of President of AIPA to Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar, 24 – 30 June2012.
In response to the presentation of the reports, the AIPA Member Delegation expressed their appreciation to the reports on the activities of the AIPA President.
Report on the 4th AIPA Caucus held on 30 April – 3 May 2012 by Thailand as the Host Country
10. The Executive Committee Meeting accepted the report of Thailand as host country of the 4th AIPA Caucus held in Bangkok on 30 April – 3 May 2012. The full text of the 4th AIPA Caucus report is attached as Annex G.
Report of the Secretary General on Activities of the AIPA Secretariat
11. The Executive Committee Meeting welcomed the presentation of the following reports by the AIPA Secretary General (Annex H):
(a) The Signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent (MoU) by the AIPA and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany;
(b) Other Activities of the AIPA Secretariat.
Consideration of the:
a. Program of Activities of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly
12. The meeting accepted the Program of Activities of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly to be held from 16 to 22 September 2012 in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia, as per Annex I. Any development after the Executive Committee Meeting in Yogyakarta will be communicated to each member of AIPA.
b. Agenda Items of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly
13. The meeting adopted the agenda items of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia and taking into account the proposal from Viet Nam to extend the 6th topic for discussion with observers at the 33rd General Assembly as follows: “Multilateral dialogue on related issues in South China Sea”. The full text of the said Agenda Items is attached as Annex J.
c. Establishment of Cooperation Between AIPA and the ASEAN Foundation
14. Under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the ASEAN Foundation, the objectives of the foundation are to promote greater awareness of ASEAN; greater interaction among the people of ASEAN as well as their wider participation in ASEAN’s activities, inter-alia through human resources development that will enable them to realize their full potential and capacity to contribute to the progress of ASEAN Member States as productive and responsible members of society; and to contribute to the evolution of a development cooperation strategy that promotes mutual assistance, equitable economic development and the alleviation of poverty.
15. All AIPA Member Parliament supported the initiative for AIPA to establish cooperation with the ASEAN Foundation as both share common goals.
16. The Meeting took note of the proposal from Myanmar Delegation to strengthen the role and status of AIPA in the ASEAN realm. The proposal from Myanmar gained support from Lao PDR.
17. The Executive Committee Meeting agreed to endorse this proposal to be submitted for further deliberation under the Committee on Organizational Matters of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
d. Relation and Cooperation between AIPA and the Pan African Parliament
18. The AIPA President was invited to attend and addressed the Assembly of the Pan African Parliament on January 2012. The Pan African Parliament has shown its strong interest to develop cooperation with regional organizations in Asia, particularly ASEAN. This gesture should be welcomed by AIPA, whose parliamentarians stand to gain the support of their African colleagues for the interest of the people in the ASEAN region. This is also in line with the ASEAN Bali Concord III, adopted during the ASEAN Summit in November 2011, where ASEAN has committed to contribute to the global community.
This initiative received the support from all delegates. In particular, Indonesia consider the initiative covers four key items such as 1.) further enhance the relationship that have been developed for more than 50 years; 2.) the initiative is in compliance with article 2, point 1 of AIPA Statute; 3.) ASEAN commitment for the Global Community, as stipulated in the Bali Concord III; 4.) PAP has invited the President of AIPA, thus there should be reciprocal relationship in which President of PAP is to be invited to address the AIPA General Assembly.
19. The Executive Committee Meeting agreed to further discuss this matter under the Committee on Organizational Matters of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
Follow-up on the Joint Declaration of Intent by AIPA and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany
20. The implementation of the capacity building program between AIPA and the German Federal Foreign Office [through the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammernarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Hanns-Seidel Foundation (HSF)] is a follow up to the resolution on the AIPA-German FFO joint projects adopted at the 32nd AIPA GA in Cambodia in September 2011. The start of the joint projects was formalized with the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent between AIPA and the German FFO/GIZ/HSF and of the Implementation Agreement to implement the work plan in March 2012. The Joint Declaration of Intent was signed by Mr. SG Cuenco and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Norbert Baas representing Germany, while the Implementation Agreement was signed by SG Cuenco and Director of GIZ-Indonesia Dr. Ulrich Mohr.
21. All delegation agreed to the implementation of the joint projects between AIPA and the German FFO/GIZ/HSF with notes raised by Indonesia for the AIPA Secretariat to report on the nature of the implementation, evaluation and financial condition of the AIPA Secretariat in the inclusion of the expert for this projects in the salary structure of the AIPA Secretariat staff. The Executive Committee have agreed on the agenda item to be submitted for further deliberation during the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
Proposal of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)/ARREST Program/Freeland Foundation for a Technical Cooperation with the AIPA to Develop a “Green Legislative Agenda” to Save from Further Decline ASEAN’s Bio-Diversity
22. During the Executive Committee Meeting, Mr. Steven Galster, representative of ARREST, an NGO dealing with the issue which supports the ASEAN-WEN upon the invitation of the President brief the Meeting.
23. The ASEAN-WEN/ARREST Program/Freeland Foundation would like to engage with AIPA to encourage parliamentarians of ASEAN Member States to promote "green legislation" to curb crimes against wildlife, particularly the orangutan, wa-wa, turtles, and many other flora and fauna species (bio-diversity) protected under the United Nations’ Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
23. In the coming 33rd AIPA GA, ASEAN-WEN/ARREST Program/Freeland Foundation would like to encourage AIPA members to take active steps (i.e. adopting a resolution) against trafficking of exotic animals and plants and their derivatives, which is reported as notoriously big and very frequent in Southeast Asia, like the trade of so-called aphrodisiac medicine (pills) extracted from exotic animals such as the rhinoceros, which are killed only for its tusk and/or horns, causing a staggering plunge of its number.
24. A draft resolution on “Strengthening Law Enforcement And Regional Cooperation To Combat Wildlife Crime” which is among the items in the agenda of the Committee on Organizational Matters of the 33rd AIPA GA is attached as Annex K.
25. The proposal for a cooperation between AIPA and The ASEAN-WEN is fully accepted by all delegation in particular with comments by Thai Delegation who strongly supports the need to build awareness campaign of the issue in the region. Proposal on the resolution submitted by the ASEAN-WEN will be deliberated in the Committee on Organizational Matters of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
Invitations Granted to Prospective Guests of the Host
26. The Executive Committee meeting agreed to grant invitation to attend the 33rd AIPA General Assembly as the guests of the host, to the following:
a. Secretary General of ASEAN;
b. Secretary General of IPU;
c. Timor Leste;
d. Representatives from Pan African Parliament (PAP);
e. Representatives from ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEAN SAI);
f. Representatives from ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN WEN)/ARREST/Freeland Foundation;
g. UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
The Executive Committee Meeting have agreed that each of the above invitees will be given four minutes to deliver their remarks/speeches at the First Plenary Session on the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
Secretary General’s Term of Office
27. According to AIPA Secretary General’s Working Agreement, his term of office will end on February 4, 2013. The AIPA Secretariat is accordingly requesting for the President of AIPA to appoint the third Secretary General, who should come from Singapore.
28. On the coming completion of Secretary General’s term of office February next year, all delegation agreed for Singapore to nominate the next AIPA Secretary General. Indonesia and Malaysia emphasized that according to the AIPA Statute the Secretary General of AIPA should permanently reside in Jakarta (the location of AIPA Secretariat) during his/her tenure. Singapore promised to submit the name before the end of the tenure of the current Secretary General.
29. The Meeting agreed to further discuss this matter under the Committee on Organizational Matters of the 33rd AIPA General Assembly.
Date and Venue of the 34th AIPA General Assembly
30. The Executive Committee meeting agreed that the 34th AIPA General Assembly would be held in September 2013 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Actual dates will be advised later.
Closing Remarks
31. Concluding the Executive Committee, AIPA President H.E. Dr. Marzuki Alie expressed his appreciation to all delegates for their cooperation and mutual understanding during the deliberations.
32. He reiterated the need for a "more in-depth understanding on the relevant strategic issues in order to contribute more effectively and work in a more result-oriented way." He likewise mentioned the importance of making the AIPA-ASEAN meeting a venue for "constructive and meaningful dialogues on strategic issues" to accelerate ASEAN integration.
33. The full text of H.E. Marzuki's statement is attached as Annex L.
34. The meeting ended at 4.00 p.m.
Attachment: