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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Mission accomplished: Romualdez commends APPF delegates for meeting objective 

Mission accomplished: Romualdez commends APPF delegates for meeting objective 

Published Nov 26, 2023 06:25 am

At A Glance

  • House Speaker Martin Romualdez gave kudos to his fellow parliamentarians from different parts of the globe for successfully accomplishing their mission in the just-concluded 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF31). 

IMG-f918e3feff5d59b1e6a437251a0e4d57-V.jpgHouse Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez gave kudos to his fellow parliamentarians from different parts of the globe for successfully accomplishing their mission in the just-concluded 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF31).

The Philippines hosted the high-level event, which took place from Nov. 23 to 25 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The Philippine Senate and House of Representatives were the chief organizers of the forum.

“It is my belief that as parliamentarians, we were able to accomplish our primary objective – to frame and execute legislative initiatives that are focused on cultivating crucial elements necessary to attain peace and support sustainable economic growth,” Romualdez told the delegates on Saturday night, Nov. 25.

“Through the APPF-member parliaments’ active engagement and resilient partnerships, we were able to ensure a respectful and peaceful resolution of our common concerns,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez said he was glad that parliamentarians in the Asia Pacific were able to discuss among themselves what he called a “vibrant exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices” that was formed “in an atmosphere of openness and trust".

“In light of the distinctive and often challenging circumstances surrounding the Asia-Pacific Region, we managed to navigate around the most pressing issues confronting us and acknowledged that there is a need for deeper awareness and understanding of our countries’ respective orientation, culture and dynamics,” he said.

A total of 10 resolutions were adopted during the forum. These were composed of the following topics:

• Strengthening the Capacity of Parliaments to Promote Peace and Stability

• Korean Peninsula

• Combatting Transnational Crimes

• Rethinking Critical Infrastructure

• Enhancing Regional Cooperation on Climate Action, Biodiversity Conservation, and Disaster Risk Reduction

• Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth

• Regional Cooperation through Education and Culture

• Regional Cooperation on Universal Health Care in the Asia-Pacific

• Gender and Sustainable Development Goals

• Women’s Participation and Leadership

The Speaker extended his “warmest congratulations” to all the APPF delegates for their “unwavering resolve to reinforce our deep commitment to develop relevant policy directions and utilize our expertise to make us more effective in responding to the challenges".

“On behalf of the people and government of the Philippines, I would like to express my gratitude to each one of you for your outstanding representation of your respective countries and for demonstrating unity in solidarity with your counterparts from other Parliaments to pursue the ideals and goals of the APPF,” Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), said.

“It is my fervent hope that you would return to your respective countries with a renewed sense of urgency and expedite the course of action and fulfill the agreements we have established during your time here in the Philippines,” he futher said.

Related Tags

Mission accomplished Martin Romualdez Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Forum (APPF)
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