ICAPP Update (11-29)

Dear Members of the ICAPP Standing Committee,

As reported by the Secretariat at the 15th SC Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on May 5, 2011, the Meeting of the Standing Committee on Political Affairs of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly(APA) was held in Seoul during July 4-6, 2011.  The meeting was attended by representatives from Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia and Thailand.

At the meeting, there were discussions on the ICAPP initiative to set up a joint working group between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the APA Executive Council to coordinate the activities of the two organizations, as had been agreed at the 10th SC Meeting held in Astana during March 28-29, 2009 and the 12th SC Meeting held in Kathmandu during February 26-28, 2010.  The following is the report on the results of the discussions.

First, Hon. Hwang Jin-ha, Member of the ICAPP Standing Committee, attended the meeting on behalf of the ICAPP Standing Committee, and submitted the reports on the ICAPP activities and the conclusions of the recent ICAPP Standing Committee meetings.  He also briefed the participants in the meeting about the ICAPP's initiative to set up the joint working group between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the APA Executive Council and proposed to have its first session on the sidelines of the 16th Meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee to be held in Seoul during October 27-30, 2011.

Second, Hon. Masoud Islami, Assistant Secretary General of the APA Secretariat, reported that the 5th Plenary of the APA was held in Damascus on November 30, 2010 and adopted a resolution on APA cooperation with the ICAPP, in which the APA welcomed the ICAPP initiative and agreed to hold a joint meeting between representatives of the ICAPP Standing Committee and the APA Executive Council in 2011. They also granted observer status to the ICAPP at APA meetings.  A copy of the resolution is attached herewith.  He further agreed to report the invitation made by Hon. Hwang Jin-ha to the Members of the APA Executive Council.

In this regard, the Secretariat will soon contact with the APA Secretariat on the issue and coordinate with them on the possibility of holding the first meeting between representatives of the ICAPP Standing Committee and the APA Executive Council in Seoul during October 27-30, 2011.

With warm regards,

Chung Eui-yong

Secretary General

ICAPP Secretariat

Seoul, Korea

July 8, 2011