Report of the ICAPP Mission to Argentina

(September 17-20, 2013)

The ICAPP Mission, composed of Hon. Chung Eui-yong, Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee and Secretary General, and Hon. Dr. Asaf Hajiyev, Head of the International Department of Yeni Azerbaijan Party and Member of the ICAPP Standing Committee, visited Argentina during September 27-20, 2013.  The purpose of the mission was to discuss with leaders of the political parties, Congress and government of Argentina how to further promote cooperation, and coordinate activities, between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL, in particular through ICAPP’s obtaining observer status in the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).  (See Attachment I: Program of the Mission)

The mission was joined in Buenos Aires by Hon. Gustavo Caravajal Moreno, Deputy Chairman of the COPPPAL, who is based in Mexico, and the representatives of Argentina in COPPPAL, including Mr. Farncisco Cafiero, Vice Chairman, Dr. Jorge Drkos, Executive Secretary, and Ms. Dolores Gandulfo, Executive Coordinator. They were all present at the ICAPP Mission’s meetings with Argentine leaders as well.

The mission was also accompanied by Hon. Han Byung-Gil, Korean Ambassador, and Hon. Mammad Ahmadzada, Azerbaijani Ambassador in Azerbaijan.

1.        Meeting with Representatives of the COPPPAL

Prior to the meetings with political leaders of Argentina, the ICAPP Mission met with the representatives of the COPPPAL.

COPPPAL representatives welcomed the ICAPP Mission to Argentina and confirmed their strong commitment to the close cooperation between the two organizations. They also confirmed their firm support for the ICAPP’s initiative for obtaining observer status in the UNGA.

In this regard, Hon. Gustavo Caravajal Moreno informed that the COPPPAL Secretariat has already circulated its memorandum to all members of the COPPPAL strongly requesting to recommend to their respective governments to render full support for the ICAPP’s initiative to obtatin UN observer status at the forthcoming 68^th session of the UNGA. In particular, Mr. Caravajal separately contacted the top leaders of the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Ecuador, and they all confirmed that they would instruct their missions in the U.N. to support the ICAPP’s observer status in the UNGA.

Representatives of the ICAPP and the COPPPAL also agreed to hold the 4^th Joint Session between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the COPPPAL Coordinating Body in Baku, Azerbaijan on October 10, taking advantage of participation by members of both organizations in the international observation delegations to monitor the Presidential Election in Azerbaijan on October 9, 2013. They agreed to focus on two major topics at the joint session, i.e. the establishment of the Asian-Latin American Business Council and the trilateral cooperation in the future among the ICAPP, the COPPPAL and the CAPP.

2.         Meeting with Leaders of the National Congress

The ICAPP Mission had a meeting with Hon. Dr. Guillermo R. Carmona, Chairman of the Commission of International Relations of the Chamber of Deputies, National Congress, and other members of the Congress, including Hon. Maria Eugenia Zamarreno, Chairwoman of Argentina-Asia Friendship Group, Hon. Julia Argentina Perie, and Hon. Roberto Mouilleron.

The leaders of the Argentine Congress welcomed the ICAPP Mission to Argentina, and expressed their appreciation about, and full support for, the close cooperative relations between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL.

The ICAPP Mission expressed their gratitude for their warm hospitality and pointed out that the close cooperation was launched at the first Joint Session between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the COPPPAL Coordinating Body which was successfully held in Buenos Aires during July 30-31, 2009 under the auspice of the Justicialist Party of Argentina.

They also referred to the Buenos Aires Declaration (See Attachment II) adopted at the meeting which laid out the principles and future directions of the cooperation between the two organizations, and also the special statement (See Attachment III) issued by the ICAPP delegation on the issue of the “Malvinas Islands.”

Hon. Dr. Guillermo R. Carmona expressed his appreciation on the support and understanding of the ICAPP members on the position of Argentina on the “Malvinas Islands” issue, and emphasized that the issue should be resolved peacefully as stated in the UNGA Resolutions 2065 (XX), 3160(XXVIII), 31/49, 37/9, 38/12, 39/6, 40/21, 41/40, 42/19 and 43/25, urging both governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom to continue negotiations within the framework of the U.N. Charter and International Law.

The ICAPP Mission requested for the continued support of the Argentine Congress for the joint efforts of the ICAPP and the COPPPAL in various fields. In particular, they emphasized that, through ICAPP’s obtaining observer status in the UNGA, both organizations would be able (1) to channel directly to the U.N. System the views of the peoples in both continents, (2) to build international consensus on U.N. action to meet key global challenges, and (3) to provide support for political parties in emerging democracies to increase their capacity to carry out at local and national level their law-making and oversight functions on matters subject to international cooperation at the U.N.

In response to this request, the members of the Argentine Congress expressed their full support for the ICAPP’s initiative to obtain observer status in the UNGA, and, in particular, Hon. Dr. Guillermo R. Carmona said that he, in his capacity as the Chairman of the International Relations Commission, would propose to the Argentine Congress in the following week to adopt a resolution to confirm their commitment to the closer cooperation between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL and their support for the ICAPP’s observer status in the UNGA. He further said that he would send letters of recommendation to the Ministry of International Relations of the Argentine government and the Argentine Mission to the U.N. together with resolution.

3.          Meeting with Leaders of the Justicialist Party

The ICAPP Mission had a meeting with leaders of the Justicialist Party, including Hon. Jorge Taiana, former Minister of International Relations, and Dr. Agustin Colombo Sierra, former Under Secretary of International Relations.

They all expressed their support for the close cooperation between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL, and offered their cooperation to get the support of the Argentine government on the ICAPP’s bid for U.N. observer status.

4.         Meeting with High-Level Officials of the Ministry of International Relations

The ICAPP Mission had two separate meetings with Hon. Eduardo A. Zuain, Secretary of International Relations, and Hon. Ambassador Maria Del Carmen Squeff, Under Secretary of International Relations, and requested their support for the continued cooperation between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL and the ICAPP’s initiative to obtain the observer status in the UNGA.

They both highly appreciated the close cooperation between the ICAPP and COPPPAL to promote friendship and understanding between Asia and Latin America, and said that the Argentine government would continue to fully support joint efforts of the two organizations to expand cooperation between the two continents in various fields.

They both agreed that granting observer status to the ICAPP would make positive contributions to the work of the UNGA. In particular, Hon. Eduardo A. Zuain said that the Argentine government would “reconsider” the position of the Argentine government on the issue in time for the deliberations at the forthcoming Sixth Committee.

Attachments:

I.           Program of the ICAPP Mission to Argentina

II.         Buenos Aires Declaration between the ICAPP and the COPPPAL (July 31, 2009)

III.        Statement on the Issue of the “Malvinas Islands” (July 31, 2009)