Annual Meetings

11th ANNUAL MEETING, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
APPF11/RES/01

The Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum,
Reaffirming that peace and stability on the Korean peninsula is a great concern for the countries of North-East Asia, as well as for the Asia-Pacific region as a whole;
Reaffirming that constructive engagement by the international community in pressing for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula will benefit the whole peninsula, North-East Asia and the entire world;
Noting the "ASEM Copenhagen Political Declaration for Peace on the Korean peninsula" in September 2002, the "APEC Leaders' Statement on North Korea" in October 2002, the Chairman’s statement of the ASEAN+3 Summit meeting in November 2002, the statement of KEDO Executive Board in November 2002, and the resolutions adopted unanimously by the IAEA Board of Governors in November of 2002 and January of 2003;
Deeply concerned about a series of recent DPRK nuclear-related actions including its October 17, 2002 acknowledgement of its nuclear development program, the December 12, 2002 Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement on lifting the freeze on nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, the subsequent removal of seals from nuclear facilities, the expulsion of the International Atomic Agency inspectors, and DPRK’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty; and
Emphasising the importance of reinforcing regional and international co-operation to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula;
Resolves to:
1. Confirm the importance of a nuclear weapons-free Korean peninsula for the peace and stability of the peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region
2. Call upon the DPRK to retract its decision to withdraw from the NPT, to refreeze the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, and to comply with all its obligations to the international community regarding peaceful use of nuclear energy, pursuant to the 1994 Agreed Framework, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the 1992 Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the IAEA Safeguards Agreement;
3. Urge those nations most closely involved with the DPRK nuclear issue to cooperate actively in seeking its peaceful resolution.

Noting that the international terrorism posses a serious threat to the international peace, as were the cases with the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, the bomb attacks in Bali on October 12, 2002, and in the Philippines on October 17, 2002, and the hostage taking in a Theater in Moscow on October 23, 2002;
Convinced that the international terrorism is a serious threat to international peace and security and therefore can never be justified under any circumstances, regardless of its motivation, and wherever, whenever, and by whomsoever committed;
Reaffirming the necessity to combat the threat of terrorist acts by all means in accordance with the charter of the United Nations, to deny terrorist and their supporters access to international financial system, and to suppress the flow of finances to terrorist networks;
Convinced of the importance of the continued search for measures to eliminate terrorism and bearing in mind the recent developments and initiatives at the regional and international level to prevent and suppress terrorism;
Recognizing the importance for all states to build capacities on counter-terrorism in order to deny a safe haven for the terrorist; and
Welcoming the progress in regional co-operation on counter-terrorism such as the issuance of "the ASEM Copenhagen Declaration on Cooperation against International Terrorism", in September 2002, "APEC Leaders’ statement on recent acts of terrorism in APEC member economies", in October 2002, and "the Declaration on the Terrorism" at the ASEAN Summit, in November 2002.
Mindful that terrorism should not be associated with any race, culture, or religion and the implementation of measure against terrorism should always be consistent with the universally recognized principles governing international law and international justice,
Resolves to:
1. Unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in the world such as that in the United States on 11 September 2001, the bomb attacks in Bali on October 12, 2002 and in the Philippines on October 17, 2002, and the hostage taking in a Moscow theatre on October 23 2002, and express its deepest condolences to the families of those killed and other victims of these terrorist attacks;
2. Call upon all States to actively pursue efforts towards the approval of United Nations Conventions on Terrorism particularly the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and to contribute to the process leading to the speedy conclusion and adoption of the draft Convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism and the draft comprehensive Convention on the elimination of terrorism;
3. Call upon the APPF member countries to ensure the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1373, to expeditiously become parties to the relevant international counter-terrorism conventions and to promote domestic legislation for the prevention of terrorism conventions inside and outside the countries;
4. Reaffirm the need to strengthen cooperation within the regional and multilateral frameworks, to enhance the capacity and ability of member countries in a common effort to combat and eliminate terrorism, to halt terrorist financing and to prevent the acquisition or use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups; and
5. Call upon the United Nations to expedite its work on the definition of terrorism.

Recognizing that the International Community is justly concerned and involved with the threat that weapons of mass destruction, atomic, biological and/or chemical may be used by a nation state or by non-state entities to attack the peace, security and well being of other people;
Recognizing that such weapons of mass destruction should be limited in possession as much as is possible in the International Community and in any event their possession should be known and transparent to the International Community for the greater security of all;
Recognizing that the United Nations Security Council has since 1991 put in place economic sanctions against Iraq because of Iraq’s unwillingness to disclose and destroy weapons of mass destruction;
Recognizing that Iraq has resisted all measures of the United Nations to inspect Iraq’s potential for the use of weapons of mass destruction and has only recently permitted United Nations’ inspection as a result of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441;
Resolves to:
1. Give unqualified endorsement to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441;
2. Urge Iraq to comply fully and without reservation to an open and transparent inspection and disclosure as required by Resolution 1441 and previous other Security Council Resolutions;
3. Caution Iraq against the possession of weapons of mass destruction in the interest of the security and stability of the world as a whole;
4. Urge all member states to take no unilateral action against Iraq unless covered by United Nations Resolution or the Charter itself;
5. Support the elimination of weapons of mass destruction and to consider a combined multi-lateral solution to the problem; and
6. Support the work of the IAEA and the United Nations Inspectors.

Convinced that achieving a final and peaceful settlement of the issue of Palestine is imperative for the attainment of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East;
Reaffirming that a just and lasting solution to the Arab and Israeli conflict must be based on the United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 of 22 November 1967, 338 of 22 October 1973, and 1397 of 12 March 2002, through an active negotiating process, Reaffirming United Nations recognition of and support for the existence of Israel as a sovereign and independent nation and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian People;
Deeply concerned by the tragic events that have continued to take place, leading to numerous deaths and injuries;
Welcoming and expressing support for diplomatic efforts by the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United Nations Special Coordinator ("quartet") and others to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East; and
Expressing support for the Middle East peace process and the efforts to reach a final settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian sides;
Resolves to:
1. Call for the enhanced efforts by the Israelis and the Palestinians for immediate cessation of violence, and that new provocative actions be avoided, in order to promote the prospects for the successful outcome of the Middle East peace process;
2. Encourage all the parties to make efforts to attain a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and notes that recognition of a Palestinian state and border security for the State of Israel are essential elements of a permanent peace; and
3. Call for all member countries of APPF to extend as much support and cooperation as possible to the peace process and to remain seized of the matter.

Noting the development of interdependence and the deepening of globalization in the international community;
Recognising: (I) the benefits of open trade and Noting the growth in regional trade arrangements and free trade arrangements across Asia Pacific region and; (II) the importance of an open, rules-based multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the forum for global rule-making and liberalisation of trade, and of the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the WTO Doha Development Agenda.
Noting the current trends towards economic integration in various regions of the world, including the Asia-Pacific region;
Reaffirming the important role which the WTO plays in promoting and strengthening the multilateral trading system and affirming the importance of the technical assistance as a necessary element to ensure integration of all members into the multilateral trading system;
Recalling that, in the Leaders' Declaration of APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in October 2002, the APEC leaders renewed their determination to continue and accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Bogor Goals as a principal element to deliver the ultimate goal of establishing "equitable and shared prosperity", and Noting that APEC leaders called for promoting exchange of views on regional and bilateral trade agreements and that they adopted " Statement to Implement APEC policies on Trade and the Digital Economy "; and
Noting that there is a growing importance for the regional effort and cooperation to complement the existing international regime for the purpose of stabilizing the currency and money market under the situation where the economic interdependence is deepening in the Asian and Pacific Region;
Resolves to:
1. Affirm the significant contribution the successful and timely conclusion of negotiations on the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA) will make to economic development in the Asia Pacific region, particularly market access outcomes;
2. Urge all Asia-Pacific economies to participate actively in the negotiations, including putting forward negotiating proposals and cooperating to promote the benefits of the WTO and the Doha Development Agenda;
3. Affirm the commitment of Asia-Pacific economies to work together to meet the timeframes set out in the Doha Development Agenda, particularly the successful conclusion of the Fifth WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003 and the conclusion of the Round by 1 January 2005.
4. Support the timely accession of APPF members to the WTO and encourage APPF countries to form trade policies that promote a networked world and cooperate for liberalizing the trading environment with effective trade rules for the Digital Economy in order to realize economic growth by promoting trade in products and services using electronic networks;
5. Call upon all countries and regions to develop existing and emerging regional trade agreements as means to complement and strengthen the multilateral trading system centered around the WTO, in such a way that will be transparent and beneficial to the entire world;
6. Welcome the moves toward economic integration, such as FTA negotiations, as a positive contribution to the prosperity of the entire region, and urge that economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region be deepened consistent with WTO principles reconfirming the special and differential needs of developing countries.
7. Call upon the relevant countries to facilitate trade and investment by improving trade rules related to intellectual property rights and investment in these regional trade agreements.
8. Ensure that regional and bilateral trading arrangements negotiated and concluded by APPF members are comprehensive consistent with WTO rules and disciplines and APEC goals and principles and promote an open, transparent and liberalized multilateral trading system.

THE DOHA AGENDA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WTO AND THE AGRICULTURE SUBSIDIES
(Mexico)

Recognizing the importance of interdependence and the profound importance of globalization and the trade liberalization in the international community and the benefits that originate from these processes with the promotion of development;
Reaffirming the important role that the WTO plays in promoting and strengthening the multilateral trade system and seeing with interest the results of the ministerial talks of Doha about global trade liberalization including the agreement on the mandate and the time frame for the Doha Development Agenda;
Remembering the objective and the commitment of the WTO to balance the challenges and the perspectives of non-developed countries and the developed ones equally to realistically achieve a more balanced trade globalized system;
Recognizing that the subsidies for agricultural production can become an important distortion of the markets that affect the spirit of free trade and generates increasing imbalances between the economies of developed countries and the non-developed ones.
Remembering, that in the Declaration of Leaders of the Economies of APEC which took place in October 2002, the leaders called out in order for the developed negotiations in the seat of the OMC to seek, as one of their objectives, the abolishment of all the subsidies for exportations in the field of agriculture, as well as to establish unjustified prohibitions and restrictions to exportation:
Knowing that the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the WTO will take place in Cancún, Mexico, in September of 2003.
Resolves:
1. To grant the greatest support for a Multilateral Trade System which would be balanced and based on regulations, that would reduce the barriers and ease the growth of global trade and guarantee that the benefits of the reform to trade and the economic growth results would be shared evenly among the developed nations and the non-developed.
2. To urge the APPF member countries to promote the trade liberalization and better, clarify and strengthen the rules of the WTO, especially those related to the agreements of agricultural subsidies.
3. To support the leader’s statement of the APEC Economies of October 2002 regarding the abolition of all forms of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and unjustifiable export prohibitions and restrictions.
4. To ratify what was stated in the Final Declaration of the Informal Meeting of the Asia Pacific Inter-parliamentary Forum which took place on Isla Navidad, Colima, Mexico, from the 18 to the 21 of September in 2002, regarding exhorting APEC to continue the activities involving training enhancement and of trust about the WTO guaranteeing absolute participation of the developing countries and the less developed ones in the international trade system.
5. To exhort the APPF member countries so that in the development of bi-lateral or multi-lateral trade negotiations, they will recognize the effects of trade distorting agricultural export subsidies which generate an uneven growth of our nations, putting harmony in risk and the adequate equilibrium that should exist in the agricultural negotiations developed in the framework of regional trade liberalization.
6. To urge the APPF member countries to recognize the Parliaments as active participation bodies in the negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda and our parliaments, to continue actively committed in the inter-governmental negotiations in the WTO, seeking at every moment, to preserve the principles of trade equity in such a way that the benefits of economic growth and development would be equal for everyone.

Observing the consideration in the Tokyo Declaration that interdependence and regional cohesion is growing within the Asia Pacific, providing a sound basis for increased regional cooperation and that the APPF could contribute to the region’s peace, stability and prosperity;
Reiterating the determination expressed in the Vancouver Declaration to support a cooperative approach to handling tensions and potential problems, as exemplified by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and to conduct political and security dialogue at a variety of levels and through different channels using existing bilateral and multilateral relationships;
Acknowledging that illegal immigration, people smuggling and people trafficking are such like activities of global scope that threaten the capacity of states to control their borders, which is the sovereign right and legitimate interest of each country;
Recognising that, as with other aspects of international crime, people smugglers and traffickers may undermine judicial and policing processes and may compromise the rights of those victims of people smugglers who have protection needs;
Recognising that no country alone can deal successfully with people smuggling and trafficking, recalls Resolution 17 of the 9th Annual Meeting of the APPF, which stressed the need for all States, and other international bodies to share the responsibility in seeking durable and timely solutions to the problem of refugees in joint efforts to prevent conditions that might give rise to the flight of refugees, and to address the root causes of refugee outflows, particularly in the countries of origin;
Noting the Bangkok Declaration on Irregular Migration of 23 April 1999, as the basis for regional cooperation in combating people smuggling and trafficking in the Asia Pacific region;
Recognising the outcomes of the Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime held at Bali, Indonesia, from 26 to 28 February 2002,
Resolves to:
1. Call upon all APPF member countries to recognise the need for integrated and comprehensive regional and international cooperation to address more effectively the issues of people smuggling and people trafficking, especially through information sharing, cooperation between agencies and governments , capacity building and strengthening legal and administrative frameworks;
2. Urge all APPF member countries to examine their border controls to ensure that all possible measures are being taken to prevent people smuggling and other transnational crimes and to intensify their efforts to introduce and enforce penalties for people smuggling and people trafficking;
3. Urge all APPF member countries to ensure that adequate measures to deter and disrupt people smugglers and traffickers and to intercept their clients, include measures to identify and safeguard the needs of those people requiring the protection of the international community;
4. Urge all APPF member countries to assist in the timely return in a humane manner of undocumented illegal immigrants.
5. Urge all concerned to participate in the activities taking place under the two Ad Hoc Experts’ Groups established at the Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime held in Bali in February 2002.
6. Urge all concerned states to participate at the Ministerial-level in the follow-up Conference to be held in Bali in April 2003, during which representatives will determine the future direction of regional cooperation designed to combat people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime.
7. Recommend the full participation in regional consultative mechanisms, such as the inter-governmental Asia Pacific Consultations on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Migrants, to ensure a strategic regional approach to dealing with irregular migration and humanitarian issues.
8. Take steps to eliminate the abuse and trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation, forced marriages, forced labour, pornography and prostitution must be done by and involve both the country of origin and receiving country.
9. Encourage all APPF members to cooperate with each other as well as internationally, regionally and bilaterally to stop the abuse and trafficking of women and children for labour and immoral purposes.

Reaffirming the inherent and primordial commitment of every civilized nation to protect and uphold the welfare of its citizens not only from lawless elements but also from hazardous substances prevalent in society;
Realizing that the ever-increasing menace of drug abuse and illegal drug trafficking are baneful to economic, political and social progress;
Recognizing that the battle against drug abuse and illegal drug trafficking needs collective response based on solidarity and determination and a persistent effort to carry out and continue essential measures which have already been started;
Noting that the involvement of minors in the illicit production, trafficking and use of narcotic drugs has reached considerable and alarming levels;
Noting also that several cases of HIV-AIDS infection were acquired through the use of illegal drugs paraphernalia;
Emphasizing the need to tackle the root causes of drug problems in the region through collective measures as well as constructive dialogues with countries where drugs are still produced;
Concerned by the continued spread of illicit drug use and growing linkages between the narcotics trade and other forms of international crime as well as terrorism
Encouraged by efforts of regional and international organizations to devise deterrents to the problem, including the 1961United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as amended, the 1971 UN Convention Psychotropic Substance, the 1998 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Illicit Substances and the recent organization of the International Congress in Pursuit of a Drug-Free ASEAN held in Bangkok in October 2000, all geared towards the countering of problems on illicit drugs;
Resolves to:
1. Call upon nations in the Asia and Pacific region to intensify cooperation to curb the production, distribution and use of illicit drugs, including amphetamines and psychotropic substances;
2. Welcome the plan of action entitled "Association of South-East Asian Nations and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs", known as ACCORD;
3. Calls upon all States to facilitate drug-control and awareness programs and to organize unrelenting campaigns against illicit drugs mobilizing the support of the public at large;
4. Calls upon specialized local agencies, non-government organizations, private sectors and other concerned entities to support the efforts of each government to eliminate the root causes of the proliferation of illicit drugs which includes the alleviation of the living standards of poverty-stricken communities through increased employment opportunities, educational grants and benefits, medical assistance and proper allocations of government funds to different sectors of society;

Reaffirming that the environment is a vital issue for the world, and mankind;
Emphasizing that the global warming, which affects climate, ecosystem and mankind, is a serious issue;
Recognizing that the supportive relation between protection of environment and economic development is of concern to all nations;
Acknowledging that the key for sustainable development is educating people;
Noting the importance of self-help efforts of developing countries in the reduction of poverty;
Respecting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and "the Johannesburg Declaration for Sustainable Development" and "WSSD Plan of Implementation", the latter two of which were released on the Fourth of September in 2002; and
Welcoming the partnership initiatives voluntarily undertaken by some Governments, intergovernmental organizations and major groups;
Acknowledging that trade is an important engine of economic growth and sustainable development;
Emphasizing the integral importance of international cooperation to promote sustainable development;
Resolves to:
1. Declare to the international community that international cooperation is indispensable in tackling environmental problems. Encourage the establishment of common rules in which all countries, both developed and developing, participate so as to ensure the effectiveness of actions against global warming, hoping that all countries will conclude the final Kyoto Protocol, which would be a major step in strengthening international actions, given the concerns about rapidly increasing greenhouse gases emissions;
2. Call upon the APPF member countries to cooperate not only with public sectors such as governments, but also with the private sector including NGOs, to find solutions to these problems and to take action, as appropriate, to ensure the effective follow-up of the "Johannesburg Plan of Implementation";
3. Confirm that sharing experiences of successes and failures is an effective tool for education in sustainable development, and call upon APPF members to communicate at all levels in the hope of broadening support for self-help efforts among developing countries in the education of their children.
4. Call on all APPF member countries, especially the developed ones to provide new and additional financial assistance to the developing countries, based on their self-help efforts, in accordance with the commitments made during the Rio and Johannesburg Summits; and
5. Encourage regular dialogue among APPF Countries for an action-oriented plan with targets, definite timeframe and clear accountabilities to guide efforts towards environmental protection and sustainable development.

Alarmed with the threatening infectious diseases that have emerged in the past decades which are taxing the already depleted global health network;
Noting that some of these diseases are transmitted by the lack of environmental safeguards; unsafe water and unclean surroundings among others facilitate the breading of disease vectors such as mosquitoes and contaminated food;
Realizing that the extent of nutritional deficiency or malnutrition cannot be discounted since the increases and a person’s vulnerability to sickness and thus leads to morbidity and mortality;
Cognizant of the efficacy of vaccinations against childhood illnesses such as but nor limited to, measles, diphtheria, polio, typhoid fever, and severe form of pneumonia, as attested by the World Health Organization, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and other international health agencies, hereby:
Resolves to:
1. Calls on member countries to educate and empower their people to make healthy choices that involve nutritious diets, regular physical activity, and voluntary avoidance of risk factors that contribute to acquiring infectious diseases;
2. Encourages member countries to observe the maintenance of clean and healthy surrounds and ensure that communities have access to clean water, pollution and garbage-free surroundings and safe foods to help prevent, control, and minimize the threat of many of the actual biological terrors that confront peoples;
3. Urges the governments of APPF member countries to support the efforts of various health organizations to increase vaccine coverage to prevent biological threats not only to children but also to adults and adolescents particularly those exposed to high risk because of occupation and lifestyle.
4. Urge local and multi-national pharmaceutical companies to produce drugs at an affordable price in order to increase the accessibilities of these drugs in the developing nations.

Concerned that corruption continues to undermine the rule of law and good governance in the Asia Pacific region,
Convinced that closer cooperation among Asia Pacific parliamentarians, relevant agencies and citizen groups can contribute significantly to the struggle to combat corruption,
Resolves to urge APPF Member Countries to:
1. Undertake effective measures and formulate more stringent laws to deal with corruption;
2. Enforce the relevant UN and other multilateral conventions on corrupt practice;
3. Intensify cooperation to formulate and share policies and programmes for combating corruption, including the prevention of money-laundering, and mechanisms for the repatriation of illegally-obtained wealth;
4. Strengthen the capacity of national parliamentary bodies to exercise legislative oversight in the fight against corruption; and
5. Support closer cooperation among relevant agencies of APPF members through support of such activities as regular meeting, workshops, research, and exchange of information on best practices.
6. Encourage its members to attend future meetings of the Global Organisation Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC).

Considering the holding of the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies from 18 to 20 June 2003 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia,
Taking into account the convening of a special meeting for parliamentary members during the Fifth Conference,
Also taking into account the UN General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, in which it invited the Secretary-General, Member States, the relevant specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations, as well as other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to support and collaborate in the holding of the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies,
Welcoming the important role that the United Nations is playing in providing timely, appropriate and coherent support to the conference process through which UN Member States share their experiences in democratic transformation of their societies,
Recognising the vital role of parliaments and parliamentarians as the legitimate representatives of the people and as the link between citizens' needs, including those related to peace, development and participation, and related government policy, at national and international level,
1. Takes note of the active preparatory process that the Government of Mongolia and the United Nations are taking for the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies;
2. Emphasizes the role of parliamentarians and civil society leaders worldwide in strengthening democracy and promoting peace, development and human rights;
3. Appeals to the Member States of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, as well as other States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to support and collaborate in the holding of the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies;
4. Also appeals the Member States of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, as well as other States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to actively participate in the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies.

Aware that the modern world is experimenting a fundamental transformation as we view the industrial society that the XX century originated at a great speed toward the Information Society of the XXI century;
Considering that this process represents a fundamental change about all aspects of our lives, including knowledge diffusion, social behavior, economic and entrepreneurial practices, political commitment, media, education and health, leisure and entertainment;
Recognizing that the Information Societies are evolving at a very accelerated pace where convergence between telecommunications, and radio diffusion, the multimedia and information and communication technologies that generate new products and services, as well as new ways to carry out business negotiations and trade operations;
Recognizing that the Information Societies have a greater capacity of reaching economic development and of competing in a New Global Economy based on technology and on information;
Ratifying the positions of the importance of the TIC in the New Economy which are written up in the Final Declaration of the Informal Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum which took place in Isla Navidad, Colima, Mexico, from the 18 to the 21 of September 2002;
Recognizing the effort developed by the APPF in this sense with the APOINT 21 Project since 1998;
Aware of the importance of the World Summit about the Information Society organized by the United Nations which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from the 10 to the 12 of December 2003;
Knowing that from the 13 to the 15 of January of 2003 will take place the Regional Conference for Asia and from the 27 to the 30 of January the Latin American Regional Conference in the framework of this Summit;
Resolves to:
1. Exhort the Governments and Parliaments of the member countries to give their complete support to promotion of technological advances and the expansion of technological knowledge and communication in our societies.
2. Urge the governments of the member countries to support the access to information technologies and communication in our societies and to make this a national priority committing the necessary resources to obtain this objective.
3. Urge the APPF to transform their Technological Work Group for the future of the Website of the APPF into a Work Group about Information Technologies and Communications which will dedicate itself to analyzing the development conditions of the member countries and to suggest measures to accelerate its development.
4. Urge the TIC Work Task, to consolidate, in the least time possible, an Internet platform for the APPF as a base to implement an information interchange mechanism at a parliamentary level and to promote the APOINT 21 Project to optimize technical training programs that include basic learning and the technical requirements for the use of technology information services in the member countries.
5. Urge the APPF to participate in a direct way in the World Summit of the Information Society of the United Nations, by sending a representative who will manifest the position of this Parliamentary Assembly at this international event and which will report the results at the next annual meeting.

Recognizing that education, in terms of education within the family, schools, society, and in various other forms, represents the foundation for the creation of personality and for nation-building, consisting of the establishment of bases in various sectors, including the environment, economy and industry, and culture and the arts;
Recognizing that amid the trend of globalization it is extremely important to foster talent, especially among the younger generation, in order to facilitate the quest for sustainable development in all APPF nations;
Recognizing that educational interchange and cooperation is essential to go beyond the political and economic dimensions in seeking mutual understanding among member countries and the solution of global issues;
Resolves to:
1. Call upon the governments of all member states and international agencies concerned to recognize the importance of education and to strenuously promote efforts for the spread of basic education and educational cooperation with developing nations and regions;
2. Call upon the governments of all member states to actively involve themselves in education for sustainable development through participation in the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development adopted by the 57th U.N. General Assembly;
3. Call upon the governments of all member nations and institutions of higher education to promote exchanges of foreign students in all aspects, and to that end to actively participate in and support UMAP (University Mobility in Asia and Pacific).