ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM

RESOLUTION 1

SECURITY: INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS

Submitted by Australia

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

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;

Recalling the determination expressed in the Vancouver Declaration, to make the Asia-Pacific community a common house where people can lead peaceful and prosperous lives; to which goal the APPF could help by promoting cooperation in regional politics, security, the economy, and culture with a view to resolving and preventing problems facing the region;

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;

Preserving relations among the countries in Asia-Pacific, and particularly mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations;

Acknowledging the recognition in the Vancouver Declaration that terrorism, trade in illicit narcotics, money laundering, internationally organised crime syndicates and such like activities must be outlawed either through existing laws or through the enactment of appropriate legislation, the implementation of effective enforcement and fostering of closer international cooperation, to better guarantee the social welfare of our communities, the economies of our nations and the political and national security of the region;

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;

Recognizing 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;

Recognizing that no country alone can deal successfully with people smuggling and trafficking, recalls Resolution 17 of the 9th Annual Meeting of 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; and

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;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Call upon all States to recognise the need for coordinated approaches to the issues of people smuggling and people trafficking, especially through information sharing, cooperation between agencies, capacity building and strengthening legal and administrative frameworks;

2. Urge all states to examine their border controls to ensure that all practicable measures are being taken to prevent people smuggling and other transnational crimes;

3. Urge all states to ensure that mechanisms 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. Call upon all states to intensify their efforts to introduce and enforce penalties for people smuggling and people trafficking;

5. Urge all states to assist in the timely return of undocumented illegal immigrants, so as to reduce the incentive for people smuggling; and

6. Recommend the active 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.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 2

TECHNOLOGY SHARING IN ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Submitted by the Philippines

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Aware of the importance of environment protection vis-à-vis national development and progress;

Alarmed that modernization coupled with the rapid pace of industrialization continue to pose grave threat to our natural resources with the denudation of forests, and pollution of air and water;

Determined to maintain a balanced ecosystem in the Asia Pacific region through the common pursuit of applicable and sustainable environment programs; and

Inspired by the individual efforts of countries, non-governmental organizations and environmentalists to preserve what has remained of our natural resources and rebuild what has been damaged and lost;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Create a network within the APPF that would serve as conduit for information and technology sharing on applicable and successful environment protections programs; and

2. Utilize the Organization’s advanced information technology as a result of breakthroughs reached through APOINT 21.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 3

STRENGTHENING POLITICAL COOPERATION IN THE

PACIFIC THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTION OF APPF TO APEC

Submitted by Mexico

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Considering the statements in the Declaration of Valparaiso on the establishment of the Pacific Basin Charter;

Knowing the importance of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum to widen and to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the national parliaments of the region;

Appreciating the importance of tying the legislative decisions of the parliaments of the region to fortify and to consolidate the commitments of the national leaders around a greater economic and commercial integration in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and in the multilateral system of the World Trade Organization; and

Considering that the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is in a decisive stage in the fulfilment of the Objectives of Bogor relative to the liberalization and economic and commercial integration of the Pacific Region and that the participation of the Parliaments of our nations will be decisive to make reality the commitments of this integration;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Consider having an APPF meeting prior to the APEC Leaders Conference in Mexico 2002 so as to incorporate the needs and views of our community into its agenda of economic cooperation, including by integrating the voice of parliamentarians at the level of APPF members.

January 9, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 4

TERRORISM

Submitted by Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea,

Philippines and United States

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Reaffirming that terrorist attacks which took place on September 11, 2001 in the United States were criminal acts against civilization itself and an unforgivable assault on all humanity;

Reaffirming that all acts, methods and practices of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, in whatever forms and manifestations, wherever they are committed, and whoever committed them, as clearly stated by the United Nations Security Council resolutions 1269 (1999) and 1368 (2001);

Concerned that the global reach of international terrorists means that no country or economy is immune to terrorist attacks;

Underlining the need to maintain and strengthen broad-based global cooperation against terrorism, which transcends religious, ethnic and cultural boundaries, not condemning any particular religion or ethnic group for terrorism;

Deeply Concerned that, as acts of terrorism rely more on highly sophisticated weapons and tactics for mass destruction, terrorism will pose greater threat to the international community in the future;

Noting The Chairman’s Statement of ASEAN Regional Forum, October 2001, APEC Economic Leader’s Statement on Counter Terrorism, October 2001, and 2001 ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism, November 2001; and

Underlining the importance of strengthening regional and international cooperation in meeting the challenges confronting us;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms the horrifying terrorist attacks which took place on 11 September 2001 in the United States and express our deepest condolences to the victims of terrorist attacks;

2. Support efforts by APPF member countries to strengthen the international and regional framework for combating terrorism, and affirm that the United Nations should play a major role in this regard;

3. Call upon APPF member countries to sign, ratify, accede and implement as soon as possible the relevant international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, including those concerning the suppression of financing of terrorism, hijacking, violence against aircraft and hostage taking, and to fully implement all the provisions of the Security Council resolutions 1269, 1368 and 1373;

4. Call upon all the APPF member countries, particularly their parliamentarians, to enact and revise domestic legislation necessary to implement the various international agreements on terrorism;

5. Reaffirm that it is important for international society as a whole to punish terrorists in the fight against international terrorism, and call upon all countries to work together to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist attacks;

6. Call upon all the countries to make further efforts for the solution of a wide variety of political, economic and social problems, including poverty and regional conflicts, which terrorists could take advantage of to justify their attacks;

7. Stress the importance of undertaking appropriate measures to combat international terrorism which avoid casualties among innocent civilians; and

8. Enjoin all member countries to strengthen its human rights institutions and legal system, at the same time, to widely disseminate to all sectors of population, information on how terrorism, international and local, deters their full enjoyment of basic human rights and individual liberties.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 5

ECONOMICS AND TRADE

Submitted by Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Republic of Korea

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Noting the importance of interdependence and the deepening of globalization and trade liberlization in the international community and the current trends towards economic integration in various regions of the world and the benefits accruing from these trends in promoting stability and alleviating poverty;

Reaffirming the important role, which the WTO plays in promoting and strengthening the multilateral trading system and welcoming the results of the Doha Ministerial discussions on global trade liberalization at the 4^thMinisterial Conference of the WTO including the agreement on the mandate and timeframe for the Doha Development Agenda;

Welcoming the accession of China and Chinese Taipei to the WTO, which will transform it into a global organisation;

Reaffirming the need for the WTO to consider the various opinions of developed and developing countries alike in order to bring about a more equitable trading system;

Recognising that the discrepancy between developed and developing countries is greatly influenced by the burden of foreign debts such as occur in Latin America, Asia and Africa and that the rescheduling, reduction or writing off of such foreign debts by creditor nations would be a constructive contribution to the interaction between developed and developing countries in international intercourse;

Recalling that in the Leaders' Declaration of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in November 2001, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in Asia-Pacific by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies; and

Observing that the world is suffering from economic malaise which has worsened as a consequence of the 11 September 2001 tragedy both directly and indirectly;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Render the strongest support for an open, equitable and rules-based Multilateral Trading System, which is essential to reduce barriers to global trade, facilitate the growth of international trade flows and global economic growth and ensure that the benefits of trade reform and the resultant economic growth are shared between developed and developing countries to the benefit of all, welcome the results of the Doha Ministerial discussions and call upon APPF countries to promote trade liberalization improving, clarifying and strengthening WTO rules particularly in relation to Anti-Dumping and Subsidies Agreements;

2. Welcome the accession of China and Chinese Taipei to the WTO and hope that they will expand trade under WTO rules and call upon APPF member countries to cooperate with non-member countries for their earliest possible entry into the WTO;

3. Call upon all countries and regions to regard existing and emerging regional trade agreements as complementary to the multilateral trading system with the WTO as the central force consistent with WTO rules and discipline, and to develop them in a way that will benefit the entire world by increasing economic growth and development;

4. Urge all parliaments to recognize that negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda will affect peoples of all states, and strongly call for parliaments, as the representative body of the people, to remain actively engaged in the inter-governmental negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda;

5. Welcome substantial development of establishing a network of bilateral swap arrangements in the East Asian region based on the Chiang Mai Initiative, agreed on the Finance Ministers Meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan and Republic of Korea (ASEAN + 3), May 2000, and call upon countries and nations concerned to make use of regional fora such as ASEAN + 3, APEC etc, to encourage the exchange of opinions concerning economic situations and policy issues in order to achieve economic development and stability in Asia-Pacific region;

6. Support the principle of open regionalism meaning that trade agreements should be open to other economies willing to take on those obligations;

7. Support the statement made at the Thirteenth APEC Ministerial Meeting in Shanghai on 18 October 2001, reaffirming the commitment of APEC to launch a new round of negotiations of the WTO to promote sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region; and

8. Call for Members of the WTO to take into consideration the different industry structures of Members and such non-trade concerns as food security and environment protection in ensuring that the opinions of all negotiating parties are harmoniously balanced in the agricultural negotiations.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 6

THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

Submitted by Canada, Japan, Thailand and United States

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Convinced that achieving a final and peaceful settlement of the issue of Palestine is imperative for the attainment of 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 and 338 of 22 October 1973, through an active negotiating process as well as to reaffirm United Nations recognition and support the existence of Israel as a sovereign and independent nation;

Deeply concerned by the tragic events that have taken place since 29 November 2001, leading to numerous deaths and injuries; 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. Calls for the immediate cessation of violence, and for all necessary steps to be taken to ensure that violence ceases, that new provocative actions are avoided, in order to promote the prospects for the Middle East peace process;

2. Calls for Israel, the concerned Arab nations and the Palestinian authorities to make their utmost efforts to resume the peace process;

3. Encourages all 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

4. Calls for all member countries of APPF to provide as much support and cooperation as possible to the peace process throughout the Middle East.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 7

GENDER EQUALITY

Submitted by Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico and United States

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Noting that the Platform for Action, which was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, provides a basis for further action for the attainment of gender equality, development and peace;

Noting that the Political Declaration, which was adopted at the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly "Women 2000" in June 2000, reaffirms the determination of each government for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action;

Noting that "the Beijing Declaration and further action and initiative for the implementation of the Platform for Action " recommends necessary measures to be dealt with by each government, the UN organizations and the civil society, and provides a code of conduct for the nations;

Acknowledging that, through globalization and the development of information technology, people’s lives, the nature of work and the social systems are facing great change;

Reaffirming that the increased interchange of people and information has brought forth novel ideas and values, which are not bounded by the old ones;

Reaffirming the significance of forming a Gender-equal Society in which both men and women can demonstrate their individuality and capacity, so that we may respond to any social change, and live in true peace and prosperity in the 21^st Century; and

Emphasizing the necessity of moving toward gender equality not only in legal terms, but also in practice;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Call upon APPF members to expand women’s participation in decision-making processes, including in the political arena; further to ensure implementation of key declarations on gender equality adopted by international bodies including UNCTAD and APEC (WLN and AGGI); and to ratify and implement international treaties promoting gender equality, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and relevant ILO Conventions including Convention 182 on Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour Exploitation;

2. Urge APPF members to make further efforts in the investigation of violence and sexual harassment against women in order to prevent it, in the protection of victimized women,and in the appropriate implementation of related laws and other necessary legislative measures. Also, invite APPF members to implement faithfully and steadily, and with full understanding of its significance, the declaration adopted as a result of the debate in the second World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, which was held in Yokohama in December 2001, in light of the increasing attention being paid by the international society to sexual exploitation, especially to such serious matters as the trafficking in very young girls, as well as other forms of sexual exploitation;

3. Call upon APPF members to ensure more equal opportunity and treatment for both men and women in the field of employment, and to implement improved vocational training programs and measures to support women entrepreneurs as part of providing assistance in women’s involvement in business activities on an equal footing with men;

4. Call upon APPF members to carry out life-long education based on the concept of gender equality to raise people’s awareness, so that women may be empowered through education, and any stereotyped ideas on gender roles which still exist in their society may be overcome;

5. Urge APPF members to collect comparative data according to gender and to set a value on unpaid housework, and develop governmental survey methods on gender impact, as means of bringing gender perspective into the mainstream;

6. Call upon all members of the APPF to promote an end to all forms of discrimination against women in national legislation and at the local level; and

7. Call upon APPF members to make every effort to include women in their delegations to the APPF, and urge the APPF Executive Committee to seek to ensure equitable representation of women in programming and leadership of the APPF.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 8

GLOBAL WARMING

Submitted by Australia and Philippines

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Aware that global warming has become the major global issue of the century, threatening all countries and the global environment and concerned by the compelling scientific evidence on global warming and its effects presented in the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;

Recognizing that the earth's atmosphere is being changed by pollutants, inefficient and wasteful use of fossil fuels, and the effects of rapid population growth in many regions;

Concerned that climate change has brought many problems such as sea level rise, frequent and more intense typhoons, severe droughts and extreme temperature and humidity change; and gravely concerned that climate change also causes the spread and transmission of water-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever which kills many people, mostly children, and increases the incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in adults; and

Encouraged by the progress made in Marrakesh, Morrocco toward finalising the rules of the Kyoto Protocol to the Convention on Climate Change at the Seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7).

RESOLVES TO:

1. Welcome the commitment of signatories to the Kyoto Protocol;

2. Call upon all member countries to map out plans and strategies on regional approaches to control the emissions of greenhouse gases;

3. Urge member countries to advocate environmental awareness and education, to continuously inform and educate the public, especially the youth, on coordinated action on climate change to effectively mobilize their participation in such effort;

4. Highlight the importance of all major emitters contributing toward global efforts to address climate change;

5. Underline the need for a truly global framework to address climate change over the long term and call upon all governments of member countries to implement the use of more efficient energy technologies, up-to-date transportation systems, and sustainable forestry and land-use techniques, among other strategies;

6. Recognise that climate change is a global problem requiring a global solution; and

7. Encourage member countries and all nations to restrain the over-consumption and wastage of resources by making necessary changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns consistent with the development of sustainable livelihood throughout the regions, in order to satisfy the ecological, spiritual, social and aesthetic needs not only of APPF member countries but also of people everywhere.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 9

RESOLUTION BY THE TECHNOLOGICAL WORKING

GROUP ON THE FUTURE OF THE APPF WEBSITE

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Noting the agreement at the Seoul meeting in January 1998 to establish an APPF website and recalling the excellent contribution made by the Peruvian Parliament in establishing and updating the website during the past four years; and

Acknowledging the great value of the website in disseminating information about the APPF and in keeping parliaments informed of developments at Annual Meetings;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Request Chairman Nakasone of the Executive Committee of the APPF to ascertain whether the Parliament of Peru wishes to continue to take responsibility for the APPF website or to hand over responsibility to another parliament;

2. Request the host countries of the 10^th and 11^th Annual Meetings to cooperate to ensure that the APPF website continues to operate and be updated during 2002/3, should the Peruvian Parliament wish to relinquish this responsibility; and

3. Request the Technological Working Group to continue to coordinate activities on technological matters until it meets again on this matter in Malaysia in 2003 to consider an ongoing arrangement for hosting the APPF website.

January 8, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 10

DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS

Submitted by Mexico and Philippines

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Cognizant that most of the world’s natural disasters occur in Asia and the Pacific, causing enormous destruction and human suffering especially in developing countries;

Concerned that man’s destructive use of the environment has increased each country’s vulnerability to natural hazards, and has exacerbated the disasters’ impact on society;

Mindful that losses from natural disasters reduce the pace of sustained economic development and often lead to heavy drain on available resources;

Recognizing that the greater capacity to predict the nature, extent and timing of potentially disastrous events, the less likely that their consequences will be disastrous in human terms;

Noting that it is only when governments, organizations and individuals work together that levels of preparedness are likely to be attained, enabling people to respond appropriately when disaster is imminent;

Recalling the different government’s policies and programmes, with corresponding legislation and administrative mechanisms to pursue disaster prevention and post-impact response; and

Reaffirming the resolution on natural disasters and civil protection during the Ninth Meeting of APPF held in Valparaiso, Chile in January 2001;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Encourage member countries to formulate environmental education programs necessary to change the values of peoples towards the sustainable use of the environment;

2. Urge member countries to design the appropriate mechanism for the creation, within the framework of the regional organization of Asia Pacific, of a fund with economic resources for the purpose of managing, under an integrated perspective that includes approaches for preparedness, education, rescue and reconstruction, the problems of the countries of the region affected by the presence of natural catastrophes, hazards and disasters;

3. Urge all parliamentarians of member countries to stimulate more effort in disaster policymaking, and to undertake an in-depth review of applicable national legislation on matters of natural disaster and civil defense in order to adequately provide an institutional structure responsible for managing and mitigating the effects of disasters;

4. Urge member countries to prepare the maps of areas posing tremendous hazards, like locations of active volcanoes, earthquake faults, etc., and risk evaluation reports so that they can be used to carry out cooperative action;

5. Call on the highly industrialized member countries to provide the necessary technical assistance to assist the developing member countries to gain a better understanding of disaster risks and vulnerability to natural hazards;

6. Call on APPF to establish an international network adapted to the national authorities charged with disaster preparedness for the purpose of sharing real-time information on the status of the environment and natural phenomena likely to present hazards; and

7. Call on APPF to create within the APOINT project a special site which will provide the member parliamentarians easy access to the laws and regulations on matters of Disaster Management and Preparedness in their respective countries and enable them to track and manage disasters effectively.

January 9, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 11

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION IN THE PACIFIC BY SUPPORTING THE DECLARATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR THE U.N. CONFERENCE ON

FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by Mexico

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

CONSIDERING the importance of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum to strengthen the friendship among the Parliamentarians and to advance in the agreements of cooperation in the different topics that we are interested in;

KNOWING the importance of our Parliaments as a decisive factor to reaffirm the compromises of the national leaders in the search of an economic and commercial integration in the Asia Pacific Economic and Commercial Cooperation (APEC), and according to the objectives of the World Trade Organization; and

RECOGNIZING the advances for a liberalization and an economic and commercial integration in the Pacific Region, and that the participation of the Parliaments will be, doubly, essential to reach this objective;

RESOLVES TO:

1. URGE TO PARTICIPATE in the Declaration of the parliamentarians for the International conference on Financing for Development, as a regional organism, to be added to the Parliamentary Union, the Parlatino, the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council and the Inter-parliamentary Forum of the Americas’ declaration, among another permanent parliamentary organisms, that will be presented in the U.N. Forum, from 18 to 22 March of 2002, in Monterrey City, Mexico; and

2. ESTABLISH the compromise of participating in the definition of a thematic agenda to be presented in Monterrey, Mexico, that includes: support the objectives of combating poverty, sustainable growing and an inclusive and Equalitarian global economic system.

January 9, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

Submitted by Republic of Korea, Mexico Mongolia and Philippines

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Cognizant of the fact that education is an investment in the future and constitutes a vital component of any strategy for reducing poverty;

Recognizing the leading role of information technology in the promotion of education;

Noting that the information technology sector is the key to every APPF member country's ability to recover faster from regional economic crisis and to compete in the global economy;

Mindful that there is a need to re-engineer the educational system of member countries to enable them to produce a large pool of information technology professionals who will lead and manage a technology-driven economy in the Asia-Pacific Region; and

Aware of the influence of information technology and computer network over industrial society in the 21^st century, APPF started Asia-Pacific Open Information Network (APOINT 21) project in 1998;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Urge governments of member countries to support access to education for all individuals, to make it a priority and commit the resources necessary to achieve this goal;

2. Encourage Governments and Parliaments of member countries to give full support in promoting technology advancement and expansion of knowledge in information technology as broadly as possible to all educational institutions at all levels;

3. Call on Governments, business communities and non-governmental organizations of the member countries to provide all support and assistance to each other in introducing modern information technology broadly in the educational sector;

4. Urge the APPF to form a working group dedicated to preparing a report on the status of educational evaluation systems in the member countries in order to have available adequate indicators which will provide information on the situation of the educational systems in their respective countries which will be useful in evaluating the educational level in the Asia Pacific region;

5. Call upon member countries to work towards a goal of total information technology literacy and the completion of activities aimed at electronically interconnecting all educational institutions in the Asia-Pacific Region by the year 2010;

6. Urge our parliaments and governments to provide every support to communications among teachers, students and schoolchildren through information network;

7. Call upon the parliaments of all APPF member states to strengthen measures to prevent Information Technology crimes such as unauthorized access and downloading of private information and transactions; and

8. Support APOINT 21 as the basis to efficiently implement inter-parliamentary information exchange mechanism and optimize technical training programs that cover the basic learning and training requirements in the use of information technology services.

January 9, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

RESOLUTION 13

ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING GROUP ON

STRENGTHENING THE APPF

Submitted by Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore and United States

THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM:

Considering that this is the Tenth Meeting of the APPF;

Reaffirming the statements in the Declaration of Valparaíso on the objectives of the Pacific Basin Charter for the 21^st century;

Believing that enhanced global challenges create greater need for international consultation, consensus building, and action at the Asia Pacific regional level;

Acknowledging the importance of parliaments to processes to building public support for regional cooperation and in shaping and approving the legislative changes needed to implement international cooperation;

Desiring that parliaments be full partners and stakeholders in Asia Pacific cooperation processes; and Appreciating that Mexico will host the next APEC leaders and ministerial meetings;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Establish a technical working group of APPF under the authority of the Executive Committee to study and report at the eleventh APPF meeting on ways and means of strengthening the APPF;

2. Ensure that the working group will consult all members of the APPF in the course of preparing its report and recommendations, particularly Mexico because of its APEC hosting role;

3. Require that such study shall include but not be limited to the relationship between the APPF and other regional organizations, the relationship between the APPF and other inter-parliamentary bodies; the institutional support base for APPF within national parliaments, the question of a permanent secretariat; the APPF website; improved coordination of cooperative parliamentary activities between APPF meetings; the financial support base for APPF; the proposal of Chile for practical means of implementing the Declaration ofValparaiso; and questions of institutional continuity including multiple co-chairing of APPF meetings; and

4. Require that such report shall be completed and circulated to all member parliaments at least two months prior to the eleventh APPF meeting in Malaysia and that it will be the subject of deliberation at that meeting.

January 9, 2002, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA