Resolution on Parliamentary Leadership for Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific and Beyond

29th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum
13-15 December 2021

Resolution on Parliamentary Leadership for Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific and Beyond

APPF29/RES/01

Draft Resolution Sponsored by: Republic of Korea, Indonesia and Russian Federation

We, the parliamentarians of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), participating in the 29th Annual Meeting of the APPF held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, under the theme The Role of Parliaments in Strengthening Resilience in the Post-Covid-19 Era:

Reaffirming previous APPF resolutions on political and security matters in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Resolution on Building Trust for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development in the Region (APPF28/RES/13) adopted in Canberra, Australia, in 2020 and the Resolution on Promoting Parliamentary Diplomacy for Peace, Security and Prosperity in the Region and the World (APPF26/RES/05) adopted in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2018,

Recalling the Vancouver Declaration of 1997, which proclaimed the pledge of all APPF Member Countries to transform the Asia-Pacific region into a community of unity, peace, safety, security, and prosperity, and the New Tokyo Declaration adopted in 2012 to promote the APPF vision for open and non-exclusive cooperation based on frank, constructive dialogue to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity, and the Hanoi Declaration of 2018, which reaffirms the APPF’s commitment to promote cooperation, pioneer in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region and worldwide, preventing conflicts and seeking solutions to end conflicts, promoting dialogue, building trust, respecting fundamental principles of the United Nations, international law, norms and standards,

Upholding the basic principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, including independence, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the threat or use of force,

Mindful of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2625 (XXV) of 24 October 1970, which approved the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter, the Declaration on Fact-finding by the United Nations in the field of the Maintenance of International Peace and Security of 1991, the Declaration on the Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations for the promotion of peace, security, and human rights, and the universally recognized international law, norms and principles of sovereign equality of states, non-use of force, non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states, and self-determination of peoples,

Recognizing the importance of continuing to work actively toward an open, transparent and inclusive Asia-Pacific (APAC) architecture of equal and indivisible security,

Acknowledging that effective security issues regulation is a cornerstone of peacekeeping and sustainable development, as well as an important tool for conflict prevention and resolution, which contributes to confidence-building in the Asia-Pacific region and that a timely response to emerging threats to global and regional security increases the level of state security, thus enabling stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region,

Recognizing that the lives and happiness of individuals, national sovereignty and safety, and peace and stability of the region and the world are deteriorated by transnational security threats, such as extremism, terrorism and transnational crimes, and the emergence of new transnational threats, such as contagious diseases and climate change,

Proceeding from the firm conviction that there can be no winners in nuclear war and that it must never be fought,

Recognizing the impactful work of parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region in promoting peace and security, expanding democracy, and promoting disarmament and non-proliferation through inclusive and open diplomacy as well as legislative, oversight and budgetary functions,

Emphasizing the crucial role parliaments should play in responding to the global increase in racial discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance, and promoting peace and security as an institution based on democracy and inclusive of all people, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, and religion, and an open, transparent platform that mediates disputes in a non-violent manner,

Expressing our commitment to strengthening the APPF’s authority as an inter-parliamentary forum which contributes to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large,

RESOLVE TO:

Urge APPF Member Countries to comply with the United Nations Charter, principles of international law, and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions in order to resolve differences and disputes among nations, build mutual trust, and shape a peaceful and stable regional order;
Encourage APPF Member Parliaments to pursue a direction toward facilitation of peace and cooperation among countries in carrying out legislative and government oversight functions to ensure a reliable foundation to promote peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region;
Call upon APPF Member Parliaments to work towards peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts between countries through democratic dialogue in accordance with international law, norms and relevant agreements and inclusive cooperation and constantly engage in parliamentary diplomacy to maintain and ensure peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region;
Invite APPF Member Parliaments to pursue parliamentary diplomacy efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and an arms race including missiles, as well as to exercise self-restraint with a view to ensuring peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large;
Recommend APPF Member Countries to consider to undertake legislative activities to promote global unity, solidarity, and cooperation to ensure collective containment of COVID-19, remind APPF Member Countries a comprehensive security approach should be adopted encompassing the areas of health, economy, food and the environment with the Covid-19 pandemic bringing an unprecedented challenge to the security of the Asia-Pacific region and the world, and encourage APPF Member Parliaments to enhance this understanding in relevant standing committees;
Urge APPF Member parliaments to work to find a way to guarantee equal security for all without distinction as to race, religion, sex, or language, and eliminate newly emerging forms of racial discrimination and xenophobia;
Fully support democracy as it ensures equality, diversity, justice, freedom, participation, transparency, and monitoring by people, thereby making governments more effective, fostering peace and security within societies, and unlocking economic potential;
Note that restrictive measures not in accordance with the UN Security Council’s decisions negatively influence regional cooperation and impede the development of trust among countries;
Take advantage of the APPF Member States parliamentarians’ potential in combating the glorification of nazism, neo-nazism and other practices contributing to the escalation of modern forms of racial discrimination, xenophobia and, related to them, intolerance;
Invite APPF Member Parliaments to participate actively in major inter-parliamentary conferences, including the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU), Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), and Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments (MSEAP), ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to discuss ways to enhance peace and security in the region and international community, and faithfully implement inter-parliamentary agreements through close cooperation with major international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, with a view to effectively addressing security challenges of the post-COVID-19 era;
Support member countries' efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, including through ASEAN, to ensure humanitarian assistance to the Myanmar and to promote democracy and human rights in Myanmar; and
Fully support the efforts of Cambodia, the rotating Chair of ASEAN 2022, to continue facilitating inclusive political dialogues and promote confidence building.