Participants in the 11th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP11) pledged to strengthen multilateralism and global partnerships for peace, development and the upholding of the UN principles and international laws.
The commitment was made during the ASEP11 meeting held virtually on November 15 with Cambodia as co-chair for the event.
The ASEP11 meeting’s official theme was "Strengthening Parliamentary Partnership for Peace and Sustainable Development in the Era of Covid-19 and beyond”. The meeting is a companion event to the larger 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM13), which is scheduled to take place in-person in Cambodia later this month.
The declared outcome of the ASEP11 recognised that the world is facing numerous new complex global challenges and threats such as climate change and an increased risk for pandemic viruses due to increased human encroachment on natural areas and contact with wild animals.
"All participants expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences over the tragic loss of lives due to Covid-19,” said the ASEP11 declaration.
The meeting also reiterated the importance of global solidarity with concerted efforts and joint commitments to contain the pandemic and advance the post-pandemic socio-economic recovery with environmentally-friendly economic growth models and approaches.
The ASEP11 stated that all participating nations remain committed to an open, transparent, non-discriminatory, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core.
ASEP11’s declaration also acknowledged that Covid-19 is the most challenging global public health issue of modern times and one that has serious ramifications on the socio-economic situation for all ASEM partners.
In the statement, the ASEP11 participants expressed concern over the grave challenges faced in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ASEP11’s statement said the signatories believe that global partnerships are imperative to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
ASEP11 urged ASEM partners to cooperate more extensively on the production and distribution of safe, effective and quality-assured Covid-19 vaccines to provide equitable access to vaccination by continuing investment in scientific research and development, technological transfer, manufacturing and making vaccines available and affordable to all.
The ASEP11 declaration “calls for the strengthening of national and multilateral approaches and international cooperation, such as the Covax Facility within the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and other relevant initiatives”.
It also called for the promotion and protection of open multilateralism based on international law to maintain the momentum of economic globalisation, while reaffirming the commitment to maintaining stable and unimpeded global supply chains, de-escalating trade tensions, mitigating macroeconomic risks and uncertainties and preserving the socio-economic wellbeing of the peoples of both continents.
