APPU members step up regional collaboration

2014-08-08

The Asian Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union issued a joint communique Aug. 6 in Taipei City, pledging to strive for enhanced member collaboration on disaster prevention and economic integration.

Comprising nine resolutions, the communique spans facilitating research on calamity preparedness, strengthening disaster risk reduction schemes for coastal cities, and supporting member countries’ accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng, head of Taiwan’s APPU delegation and chairman of the annual meeting, said the dangers posed by global climate change are of significant concern to many APPU members. “It is hoped that the resolutions of this year’s meeting will translate into concrete actions via legislation in respective nations,” he said.

According to the APPU, the communique was signed by 10 members participating in the meeting. These are Taiwan, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Malaysia and Mongolia, which also took part, declined to give their endorsement.

The Aug. 4-6 meeting in Taipei addressed challenges such as managing natural disasters and fostering regional collaboration on emergency relief.

Established in 1965 as an exchange platform among the legislative bodies of 21 member nations, Tokyo-headquartered APPU aims to secure regional peace, prosperity and stability.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=220414&CtNode=413)