Resolution on Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region

25th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum
15-19 January 2017

Resolution on Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region

APPF25/RES/02

(Sponsored by Russia)

The 25th Annual Meeting of the Asia‐Pacific Parliamentary Forum;

Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the 1997 Vancouver Declaration which proclaimed a new era of Asia‐Pacific cooperation in the 21st century with a major supporting role of APPF;

Confirming its adherence to the rules and principles of international law stipulated in the UN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South‐East Asia, including the principles of mutual respect of sovereignty, non interference in internal affairs of sovereign states, non‐ use of force or the threat of force;

Taking note of the changes in the world including the growing trend to multi‐polarity and West‐East shift in global development with a constantly increasing role of the Asia‐Pacific region as a key factor of this development;

Recognising that the conflict potential in the Asia‐Pacific region may threaten future stability and prosperity in the region and reaffirming its support for an open, transparent, inclusive and rules‐based regional and indivisible security architecture in accordance with international law, including the principle of equality;

Striving to resolve possible emerging differences by peaceful, political and diplomatic means, in particular through negotiations and consultations between the States directly concerned on the basis of equality;

Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as one of the most serious threats to peace and security and underscoring that any terrorist act constitutes a crime, irrespective of the motives of the perpetrators or the time and place of its commitment, and that terrorism and violent extremism leading to terrorism must not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group; and

Commending the achievements of the 25 years of the dialogue partnership in the APPF area on a great number of issues including security and politics, and being resolved to upgrade this partnership on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual benefit and common responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the Asia‐ Pacific region;

RESOLVES TO:

1. Increase efforts in strengthening multilateral diplomacy, including parliamentary diplomacy, as the principal means of achieving peace and security in the Asia‐Pacific region;

2. Promote dialogue and cooperation on the establishment of an open, transparent, equal, inclusive and rules‐based regional and indivisible security architecture in accordance with international law, including the principle of equality;

3. Encourage all parties involved to use all political and diplomatic resources to resolve their disputes;

4. Call upon APPF Member States to strengthen cooperation aimed at the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as it represents a comprehensive multilateral framework for international cooperation;

5. Enhance cooperation within regional and global institutions against traditional and new security challenges such as international terrorism, trans‐national crime, information security threats, as well as production and trafficking of illegal drugs;

6. Call upon all Member States to implement consistently the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy and the relevant UN Security Council’s resolutions against international terrorism, and to work for a speedy completion of drafting of the Comprehensive Convention On International Terrorism; and

7. Improve cooperation at different levels on counter‐terrorist initiatives aimed at the removal of grounds for the spread of terrorism, violent extremism and radical views, including measures towards preventing the dissemination of terrorist and extremist ideologies, with the active participation in such measures of representatives of civil society, religious leaders, scholars, media and business community.