Document
ICAPP-COPPPAL/1JS/003
Conclusions
of the 1st Joint Session between the ICAPP SC and the COPPPAL CB
(Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 30-31, 2009)
The First Joint
Session (hereinafter referred to “the Meeting”) of the Standing Committee of
the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (hereinafter referred
to as “the ICAPP”) and the Coordinating Body of the Permanent Conference of
Political Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean, or Conferencia
Permanente de Partidos Politicos de America Latina y el
Caribe (hereinafter referred to “the COPPPAL”) was held under the main
theme of “the Global Challenges and the Role of Political Parties” in Buenos
Aires, Argentina during July 30-31, 2009.
The program of the meeting and the lists of both COPPPAL and ICAPP
participants are attached herewith as Appendixes I, II and III respectively.
The Meeting was
convened in the morning of Thursday, July 30 by Hon. Dr. Antonio Cafiero, Chairman of the COPPPAL Coordinating Body and
Senior Leader of the Justicialist Party of Argentina,
and Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Chairman of the ICAPP
Standing Committee, President Emeritus of the LAKAS-CMD Party of the Republic
of the Philippines. The opening
ceremony was also attended by H.E. Jorge Taiana,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Argentina who delivered
welcoming remarks on behalf of the Argentine Government.
The Meeting was
conducted in three Discussion Panels during July 30-31. The First Discussion Panel was on “the
Role of Political Parties in Society, Politics and Economy in Asia and Latin
America and the Caribbean and the Current International Context,” and was
moderated by Hon. Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Secretary
General of Pakistan Muslim League, representing the ICAPP. The Second Discussion Panel was on
“Political Parties and Promoting National and Regional Development,” was
moderated by Hon. Dr. Jorge Drkos, Chairman of the
Province of Buenos Aires, the Frente Grande of
Argentina, representing the COPPPAL.
The Third Discussion Panel was on “Political Parties in Building an
Interregional Multilateralism,” and was moderated by HRH Prince Sisowath Sirirath, 2nd
Vice President of the FUNCINPEC Party of Cambodia, representing the ICAPP.
During the Meeting,
the members of both the COPPPAL Coordinating Body and the ICAPP Standing
Committee discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the main theme and
sub-themes, including the current political, economic and social situation in
various parts of their two continents, and agreed that the first inter-continental
meeting between the two leading political institutions in Asia and Latin
America was significant in many-fold.
First, they recognized
that the two continents together represented 50%
of the total land area of the Earth, 68% of the world population and 53%
of the world GDP. Yet the fates
of many nations in the two continents were
still greatly
affected by the interests of foreign powers and institutions. In this regard, they agreed to increase
cooperation and solidarity between the two continents through increased
contacts and exchanges among the political parties thereof to meet the common
challenges and defend their common objectives of peace and prosperity. In doing
so, they agreed, among others, to respect territorial integrity and sovereignty
of each country, to respect diversity in cultural and social values of
each country, to adhere to the rule of law and good governance, to reject any
form of violence as a means to resolve differences among nations, and to
further promote multilateralism to meet the current global challenges.
Second, they agreed
that the moment had come for political parties, as carriers of people’s will,
to assume more responsibility in shaping relations
among the nations in our two continents. They recognized that, without solid
basis of political support in each country, they could not carry out their
tasks to tackle the new challenges they faced today, especially the recent
global financial crisis in a sustainable way. They jointly identified the key roles
for the political parties to play in this process, such as constructing a just
international order and building a common strategy to make this world a fairer
and better place for all mankind.
Together they could promote cooperation and integration between the two
continents, especially in the fields of education, technology and environment,
and to raise public awareness for democracy and good governance.
Third, they identified priority areas for their future joint efforts
to bring more justice and equity in international order. The priority projects included, among
others, reduction of poverty, promotion of inter-faith and inter-cultural
dialogue, creation of micro-financing and “debt-for-equity” programs for
developing economies, establishment of a bi-continental development bank,
promotion and protection of migrant workers’ rights, promotion
of
technological cooperation, protection of environment and
bio-diversity, and fighting
against drug trafficking and organized crime.
Fourth, they agreed to
closely coordinate to increase mutual understanding
and
trust, to reinforce and continue their political,
economic, social and cultural ties, and to provide political environment for
their respective governments to expand cooperation and
coordination in their policies on the various political and economic issues being debated in
various international fora with a special emphasis on bringing
together the countries that have been less fortunate with the benefits of
globalization and affected more severely by the recent global challenges.
Lastly, they shared the view on the need to
have joint sessions between the COPPPAL Coordinating Body and the ICAPP
Standing Committee on a regular basis, and agreed to hold the second joint
session in Asia not later than the end of the first half of 2011. The ICAPP participants also invited the
members of the COPPPAL to participate in the 5th General Assembly of
the ICAPP to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan during September 24-27, 2009. In return, the COPPPAL
participants invited the members of the ICAPP to participate in the annual
Plenary Session of the COPPPAL to be held in the Dominican Republic during
October 10-12, 2009, which will also celebrate the 30th anniversary
of the COPPPAL.
Before concluding, the
Meeting adopted by consensus the Declaration which reflected the results of the
discussions during the Meeting was adopted by consensus. The Declaration is attached herewith as Appendix
IV. The Meeting also
adopted a joint statement on the current political situation in Honduras, which
is attached herewith as Appendix V.
The Meeting was
concluded in the afternoon of Friday, July 31 by Hon. Gustavo Carvajal Moreno, Associate Chairman of the COPPPAL
Coordinating Body and Former President of the National Executive Council,
Institutional Revolution Party (PRI) of Mexico, and Hon. Chung Eui-yong, Secretary General of the ICAPP Secretariat and
Former Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee of the Democratic Party of the
Republic of Korea. The closing ceremony was also attended by Hon. Daniel Scioli, President of the Justicialist
Party of Argentina and Governor of Buenos Aires, and Amb.
Agustin Colombo Sierra, Undersecretary of Latin American Policies of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina.
They delivered their congratulatory remarks.
After concluding the
Meeting, all the participants paid a courtesy call on H.E. Dra. Crisitna Fernandez de Kirchner, President of the Republic
of Argentina, at the Government House.
Appendix:
I.
Program of the Meeting
II.
List of COPPPAL Participants
III.
List of ICAPP Participants
IV.
Declaration of the Meeting
V.
Joint Statement on Honduras