Two Members of Parliament represented Singapore at the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace [AAPP] Conference from January 22-26th 2001 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Information and the Arts, Mr Yatiman Yusof, and NMP (Nominated Member of Parliament), Mr Thomas Thomas. Representatives from at least 27 nations took part in the conference.
The AAPP Conference will seek to: Adopt the first Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations, which will include the normative guiding principles and operational policy guidelines for the promotion and protection, and respect for human rights in the region; Strengthen the culture of peace, democracy, and good governance in the region; and Identify and recommend regional and national steps to be taken in order to realize and implement the Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations, and any other resolutions deemed appropriate and necessary for the AAPP to successfully fulfil its noble mission for peace.
It should be noted that eminent juridical and legal experts from various Asian countries are in the process of preparing the drafting of the Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations.
AAPP Conference Announcement: Building a Sustainable Peace and Democracy for the Next Millennium: A Challenge for the Parliamentarians.
Background: Various initiatives have been undertaken in the region to promote peace and stability and respect for human rights. A group of motivated NGOs have promoted and adopted an Asian Human Rights Charter on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Teheran Regional Framework for Technical Cooperation on Human Rights of 1998 recommended the four areas of action for human rights protection and promotion as national plans of action for human rights, human rights education, the development of national institutions for human rights and the development of strategies for the realization of the right to development and economic, social and cultural rights. There was a regional symposium on Cooperative Peace for Southeast Asia in Jakarta 1998. Along with these new trends, several countries in the region are promoting the process of democratisation and good governance.
It was within the same spirit of peace and cooperation for the entire Asian region and in the world that 36 countries and representatives of different Civil Society Organizations held a four-day conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh in early September, 1999, and established the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP).
Goals and Objectives of the Conference: The AAPP Conference will take cognizance of all of the preceding activities and will seek to further the efforts of these initiatives. The conference will explore concrete framework for regional cooperation and action to promote peace, democracy, and respect for human rights in the Asian region. Peace and stability are inextricably linked to respect for human rights have been designed through various regional instruments in Africa, Europe and Latin-America. These regional human rights instruments have sought to enhance the international norms and standards that have been enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The current processes of globalization and trade liberalization will have a major impact on the lives and the civil, cultural, economic, social and environmental rights of the people of the Asian region. Since co-operative peace and a culture of peace are based on shared universal values, This has to be strengthened for the building of a sustainable peace.
The Asian parliamentarians are convinced that only through strengthened regional cooperation and the development of regional normative framework and appropriate operational policies, we may be able to promote genuine peace and long lasting political stability in the region.
The AAPP Conference will seek to: Adopt the first Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations, which will include the normative guiding principles and operational policy guidelines for the promotion and protection, and respect of human rights in the region; Strengthen the culture of peace, democracy, and good governance in the region; and
Identify and recommend regional and national next steps to be taken in order to realize and implement the Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations, and any other resolutions deemed appropriate and necessary for the AAPP to successfully fulfil its noble mission for peace.
It should be noted that eminent juridical and legal experts from various Asian countries are in the process of preparing the draft of the Charter of Human Rights for Asian Nations.
Furthermore, Country Members, Civil Society Organizations, and International Experts were kindly invited to submit background papers on relevant topics, which include the following:
A Culture of Peace: - Individual and Collective Security - Role of parliamentarians in promoting peace - Role of women and youth in promoting peace
The Rights to Development: - Civil, Cultural, Economic, Political, Social and Environmental Rights
Good Governance: - Democratization Process and the Rule of Law - Citizen's participation - Cooperation between public representatives and civil society organizations - Promotion of sustainable human rights.
The Conference brought together as participants and observers, prominent leaders, Senior Statesmen, parliamentarians, and policy makers from all countries in Asia, UN and development agencies, in particular UNDP, UNESCO, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Donors, and Human Rights NGOs.
