The 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) debates economic-trade matters during the second plenary session on January 19 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Member parliaments of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) haveplayed a significant role in fostering regional connectivity and cooperation topropel economic-trade development and integration.
The issue, amongthe topics put forth by the host Vietnam in the agenda of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) were applaudedby delegations from the participating members and considered as a goal for theAPPF’s future affairs. It was the highlight of its second plenary session, with11 related resolutions submitted.
For more thanhalf a century, Asia–Pacific has thrived to become a driver of the globaleconomic growth, largely thanks to its efforts to capitalise on extensiveeconomic connectivity and advantages of micro-, small- and medium-sizedenterprises (MSMEs) networks.
In this regard, law-makingbodies can facilitate positive changes through policies in each nation andthrough bilateral and multilateral legal frameworks agreed among them.
Parliamentarydiplomacy complements traditional diplomacy as a means of building mutual trustand promoting the exchange of information that is not normally obtained throughofficial diplomatic channels.
Jointparliamentary efforts needed for Asia-Pacific economic-trade integration
The Asia-Pacificregion accounts for approximately 40 percent of the world’s population,approximately 60 percent of its gross domestic product and 50 percent of globaltrade. Trade and investment have generated unprecedented prosperity inAsia-Pacific, but there remained barriers, such as increasing protectionism anddiffering views on integration and globalisation.
Concerted effortsto boost trade and economic integration in the region have produced importantoutcomes, particularly the signing and implementation of bilateral andmultilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). For example, ASEAN, of which APPFmembers Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and thePhilippines are also members, has signed FTAs with several Asia-Pacificpartners, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and NewZealand.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the second plenary session of the APPF-26 (Source: VNA)“We should takeconcrete actions to improve connectivity, similar to APEC’s and ASEAN’sinitiative, focusing on three priorities: infrastructure, human andinstitutions. Parliaments play an important part in this process as nationallegislative bodies,” stated Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue atthe second plenary session of the APPF-26.
Aware of theimportance of economic integration, the Vietnamese delegation brought to thedebate a resolution on the role of parliaments in the field. Vietnam encouragedparliaments of APPF member states to implement innovative practices thatimprove time and cost efficiency for international trade and investment,including streamlining customs procedures and reducing tariff and non-tariffbarriers as well as improving the business climate in each member economy. Thecountry backed endeavours to strengthen the capacity, engagement and mechanismsfor parliamentary oversight of international trade and investment as a keyinstrument for better economic integration in Asia-Pacific.
Masazumi Gotoda,member of the House of Representatives (lower house) at the National Diet ofJapan, said parliaments should fulfill their role of inspection to ensure theeffective implementation of policies for economic growth related to currencyand economic cooperation.
He also suggestedbuilding a high-quality workforce for the digital age, and empowering women,noting that fair competition is necessary for free trade.
In itsresolution on promoting regional economic cooperation and integration through FTAs,the Canadian delegation pushed for the encouragement of public investment andpolicies that help create public-private partnerships related to theimplementation of trade agreements, regarding infrastructure, logistics, digitisation,innovation, education and skills-training. Canada supported the entry intoforce of the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, and encouraged APPF member statesto undertake measures to implement the agreement and those who are yet to ratifythe agreement to do so.
In an interviewwith the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the matter at the sidelines of theAPPF-26, Jonathan Young, member of the New Zealand Parliament and head of thecountry’s delegation to the APPF-26 said: “When we talk about integration, whatwe are seeing is as much as integration between countries now, alongside of theeconomic integration through trade agreements. We are seeing huge integrationof technology and information that it is like an airy breeze around all of usall the time. People transact business via the internet, so we have theinformation integration happening without us even knowing about it.”
FosteringMSMEs as driver of regional growth in the digital age
MSMEs areimportant driving forces of Asia-Pacific economies due to their contributionsto employment, innovation and poverty alleviation. Trade performed throughdigital platforms represents a significant opportunity to make MSMEs a part ofinternational trade. In other words, new technologies reduce MSMEs’ tradecosts, allowing these companies to be able to compete better in the globalmarket. Based on this context, parliaments have a final say in building asystem of regulations, policies and principles conducive to market access andwithdrawal, fair competition, connected supply-demand sources and improved stategovernance capacities.
Parliamentariansat the APPF-26 were involved in the consideration of the best practices in thedebate of green MSMEs, improving MSMEs’ accessibility of finance, technologyand facilitating their access to FTAs and global value chains.
Nurhayati AliAssegaf, Chairperson of the Indonesian Committee of Inter-ParliamentaryCooperation, suggested the APPF members improve the role of MSMEs and othereconomic sectors for extensive and equal economic integration.
MalaysianSenator Khairudin E.S. Abd Samad said itis important to continue promoting start-ups and innovative MSMEs, facilitatingtheir participation in the global value chain and improving the businessclimate in the digital age.
He urged the APPFmember states to embrace new technologies and innovation to bring MSMEs to theinternational market, with a belief that good networking and cooperation amongthe APPF parliaments in developing e-commerce will reduce gaps in the region,particularly in security matters and data flow.
Chileanparliamentarians proposed a resolution on supporting MSMEs in the digital era,which called for the reinforcement of the commitment adopted in the declarationof the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam’s central Da Nang city toreinforce MSMEs ability to compete in international markets and to participatein global value chains through better access to the internet and digitalinfrastructure.
Chile urged Asia-Pacificparliaments and governments to create a legal and entrepreneurial atmospherefavourable for the development of electronic commerce, providing certainties inregard to legal responsibility, data protection and copyright.
APPF-26final resolutions endorse free trade and MSMEs growth
The APPF-26Resolution on Promoting Economic Growth and Free Trade asked the member statesto strengthen their partnership based on the principles of equality, mutualbenefits, and shared responsibility; to seek efficient schemes for regionaleconomic integration and measures to address challenges facing the process; andto study developing integration drivers, such as transport, energy, digitalinfrastructure, and science –technology, as a basis for furtherintegration.
The resolution,sponsored by the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia and adopted by allparticipating delegations, called upon member states to implement the “APECAction Agenda on Advancing Economic, Financial, and Social Inclusion”, whichwas endorsed at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting last year.The action agenda aims to build an Asia-Pacific community which shares thebenefits of free trade in a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable manner.
The resolutionalso urged the APPF member states to put forth measures to build an innovativeecosystem through a legal framework favourable for strengthening thecompetitiveness of MSMEs in the digital era and to expand the scope of supportto help the group engage deeper in global value chains.
The APPF-26final resolution on the Role of Parliaments in Promoting Seamless RegionalEconomic Integration, sponsored by Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand andVietnam, stressed the commitment to further promoting free and open trade inAsia-Pacific by supporting a ruled-based, free, open, fair, transparent andinclusive multilateral trading system. It supported the establishment of theFree Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) via possible pathways, includingthe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and PacificAlliance (PA), and FTAs between ASEAN and trading partners.
It endorsed thepursuit of policy strategies to increase MSMEs’ innovation capacity, especiallyfor women and youth-led businesses, and the promotion of development and utilisationof e-commerce in Asia-Pacific by strengthening a favourable, transparent andstable legal environment and policies for global economic integration.
Founded inTokyo, Japan in 1993, the APPF has 27 members, namely Australia, Cambodia,Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan,Laos, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, NewZealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea,Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
It is amechanism that enables parliamentarians to discuss issues of common concern,and to deepen their understanding of the region and the interests andexperience of its diverse members. The forum addresses political, security,economic, social and cultural issues, furthering regional cooperation andbuilding relations between and among parliamentarians.-VNA
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