JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF The 16th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PASIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ( APPF ), Auckland, New`Zealand, 20 - 24 january 2008

At the invitation the Parliament of New Zealand ,the 16th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) was held in Auckland, New Zealand from 20 to 24 January 2008 with participants from 21 member parliaments and 9 observer countries.. The Executive Committee convened a meeting on 20 January, before the opening of The Annual Meeting.
On 21 January 2008, at the opening ceremony, Hon. Margaret Wilson, President o the APPF and Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives welcomed the participants to the Annual Meeting and declared themeeting open.

His Excellency Mr Sergey Mironov, Former President of the APPF and Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Diputado PatricioWalker, Presiden to the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, addressed the participants.MrYoshinobu Shimamura, Permanent Leader of the Japanese Delegation, delivered a speech to the APPF on behalf of the Honorary President of APPF, His Excellency MrYasuhiro Nakasone.

Delegations were honoured and pleased to have the opportunity to meet the Governor-General of New Zealand, His Excellency Anand Satyanand, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Helen Clark.

In the plenary session on political and security issues delegates discussed a number of topics and made resolutions on the situation in the Korean Peninsula, cluster munitions, the Middle East peace process and the situation in Iraq, and the situation in Myanmar.

In the plenary session on economic and trade issues delegates discussed a number of topics and made resolutions on climate change and sustainable development, energy security, international and regional trade developments, people-centered information, and science and technology.

In the plenary session on regional cooperation in theAsia-Pacific region delegates discussed a range of topics and made resolution on disaster preparedness and pandemic disease,interfaith dialogue and the Alliance of Civilisations, promoting women's participation in politics and the economy, South Pacific fisheries management, and a number of issues of long-term concern to the region,such as demographic changes, water management, human rights,the abduction of citizens, poverty alleviation, the mutual recognition of occupations, free speech, mv /AIDS, child labour, marine pollution, and the treatment and protection of migrant workers.

The 16 the Annual Meeting of the APPF adopted 23 resolutions on these issues, In the final plenary session participants discussed the future role of the APP and agreed that the 17th Annua lMeeting be hosted by the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democrati Republic from 11 to 15 January 2009.

The annual meeting resolved to invite the President of the APPF, after consulting with the Executive Committee and the Honorary Chairperson,to write to the new Executive Committee setting out the idea raised at the 16th Annual Meeting and asking that it:

a. Review the rules of procedure during 2008 and make recommendations for as amendments that it thinks fit to the 17thAnnual Meeting
b. Address the ideas raised at the 16thAnnual Meeting with Laos in terms of developing the draft agenda and schedule for the 17th Annual Meeting

The meeting thanked the Drafting Committee for its efforts in developing a package of resolutions and the joint communique, which contributed to the success of the meeting.

The Annual Meeting expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the New Zealand Parliament for its organisation and hospitality, and especially to Hon. Margaret Wilson, Speaker of the House of Representatives for her Presidency of the APPF, and to the Secretariat and the staff for their hard work, which contributed to the success of the Annual Meeting.