Sep 9, 2012

ASEAN - Asean Secretariat aims for enhanced cooperation with AIPA

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BALI, Indonesia, Sept 8 -- “Building the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Community requires the support from the legislatures in Asean. Parliamentarians not only carry the voice of the Asean people, but also help to legislate the laws governing Asean’s norms and goals,” said Deputy secretary-general for Corporate and Community Affairs Development, Bagas Hapsoro.

Speaking at a retreat hosted by the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to explore cooperation between the AIPA and the Asean Secretariats this week, Bagas expressed his hopes that the retreat will provide clearer understanding on respective roles of both organizations, and identify constructive ways to better engage with each other and support the Asean Community.

He also emphasized that engagement between the two Secretariats should be enhanced through a step-by-step evolutionary manner, starting with better understanding and identifying platforms of cooperation.

Secretary-General Antonio Cuenco of AIPA expressed his optimism as he formally opened the retreat.

He said that during the three-day retreat, the two secretariats would work closely with each other to explore and find ways and means of achieving common dream of a strong, active, and prosperous Asean region.

Supporting the retreat are GIZ Capacity Projects and the Embassy of Germany to Indonesia in Jakarta.

As representative of the German Embassy, Jessica Engel believes that Asean as a regional organization has a big future ahead, and thus should be assisted in achieving such future. Furthermore, Gert Reinberger, Project Coordinator of GIZ, hopes that the outcomes of the Retreat will open a new chapter on relations between Asean and AIPA as well as the two Secretariats.

The retreat brought together delegations from AIPA and Asean Secretariats, AIPA National Delegates and GIZ.

In the opening remarks, Bagas outlined the respective roles of parliamentarians in regional organisations, and how these can be the basis for modalities of engagement and cooperation between Asean and AIPA, to contribute to the Asean community-building process.

Following the opening remarks and plenary discussion, participants were organized into three working groups with discussions ranging from commonalities and differences of the two secretariats’ mandates and functions; AIPA-Asean legal issues; to dialogue and consultation between legislature and executive. The outcomes of the working group sessions will provide key messages and issues that will be addressed in a round table discussion the following day. (ASEAN)



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