Brief Introduction
Brief Introduction of
the ICAPP
As
of January 2023
The International
Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) was launched in Manila, Philippines in
September 2000 to promote exchanges and cooperation among political parties
with various ideologies
in Asia and Oceania.
The ICAPP seeks to
enhance mutual understanding and deepen trust in the region and in doing so, promote peace
and prosperity through the unique role and channel of political parties.
At first, few people
thought it would be possible to bring together competing governing, opposition
and independent political parties of Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Central
Asia, West Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. However, since its inception, the ICAPP has grown
steadily in both membership and influence.
Now more than 350
political parties in the region with diverse political and ideological
backgrounds are eligible to participate in the ICAPP activities. By bringing together leaders of
political parties in Asia at regular
assemblies, the ICAPP has become a positive force for mutual understanding
among Asian countries and peoples. The ICAPP meetings have been visionary,
cordial, constructive and successful.
The ICAPP
has become institutionalized through wide-ranging programs and a sophisticated structure. The General Assembly, which welcomes all eligible political
parties across Asia and Oceania, is held every other year. The Standing
Committee, which is composed of political party representatives from 23
countries, meets semi-annually to address general matters of the ICAPP. Special Conferences are held on timely topics upon
recommendations from the Standing Committee, and small-scale workshops are also held targeting specific
audiences and issues. Themes of previous Special Conferences and workshops
include, among others, prevention of political corruption, green development,
migration and refugees and promotion of business opportunities, among others. The ICAPP Youth Wing and Women’s Wing have also been
established and their annual meetings focus on
issues related to empowerment, education, employment, human rights, and
equal opportunities. Other subsidiary bodies, such as ICAPP Media Forum, ICAPP
Tourism Promotion and Inter-City Cooperation Council (TOPIC), ICAPP Program for
Disasters Assistance (IPDA), ICAPP Business Council (IBC), and Asian Cultural
Council (ACC) have also been set up under the Standing Committee and hold their
meetings on a regular basis.
The ICAPP has also established
channels of dialogue with political
parties in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This
is manifested through its partnership with the Permanent Conference of
Political Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL), the European Parliament, and the Council of African
Political Parties (CAPP). The ICAPP and COPPPAL
have been holding joint sessions annually since 2009 and the trilateral
meetings among the Members of ICAPP Standing Committee, COPPPAL Coordinating Body and CAPP Executive Committee have been
held since 2016. At the 3rd Trilateral Meeting among the
ICAPP-COPPPAL-CAPP, which was held in
Moscow, Russia in 2018, the three organizations agreed to designate the ICAPP
Secretariat as the Common Secretariat to further joint cooperation in the
future. The Asia-Europe
Political Forum (AEPF), which is regularly co-organized by the ICAPP and the political party
groups represented in the European Parliament is also designed to further
intercontinental cooperation. The first meeting of the AEPF was held in Seoul, Korea in 2017 after discussions between the ICAPP and political groups of
the European Parliament to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation between
Asia and Europe. The second AEPF meeting was held in London, United Kingdom in
2018, the third meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2019, and the fourth meeting
in Prague, Czech Republic in July 2022 under the auspices of European
Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
In recognition of the
ICAPP’s role in bringing together various political parties to promote
understanding and friendship among countries not only in Asia, but also in Africa,
Europe
and
Latin America, a number of governments in the region, including those of
Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Republic of
Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, have signed the
inter-governmental “MOU on Cooperation to Support the Activities of the ICAPP” in
2013. More governments are encouraged to join in signing the MOU.
The ICAPP strives to achieve the UN
Sustainable Development Goals by raising awareness on key issues and fostering
dialogue on the design and implementation
of policies that can bring positive change. In 2018, the UNESCO
acknowledged the ICAPP as an international organization of political parties of
independent states and signed the “Cooperation Agreement between the UNESCO
and the ICAPP.” The ICAPP will continue to play
its role not only in building a cohesive community in Asia, but also in
contributing to the global quest for peace and prosperity.
The 5th
General Assembly held in 2009 decided to establish the
ICAPP
Secretariat in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Thanks to the support of
many governments
in the region, the Secretariat has been
able
to
develop and expand the scope of
the ICAPP activities.
The ICAPP Secretariat
can be reached by email at secretariat@theicapp.org. More detailed
information on the ICAPP and its activities can be found on its website at www.theicapp.org.