ASEAN women work towards millennium goals

WOMEN in ASEAN will have more roles to play in achieving development goals in the region.

The new roles of ASEAN women were highlighted in yesterday’s meeting of Women Parliamentarians of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (WAIPO).

The organisation adopted a resolution to enhance the role of female parliamentarians for achieving the goals of poverty reduction and those related to reproductive health and child survival.

The meeting also agreed to speed up the implementation of the Beijing Platform plus 10 initiative for action towards achieving Millennium Development Goals.
This issue will be put up for approval of the 26th General Assembly of AIPO, to open today in Vientiane.

“Representatives of the member countries appreciated the Lao PDR’s preparation for the meeting and the issues proposed for discussion. The delegates of the meeting unanimously agreed on the adoption of the issues, considering them as appropriate for the current situation in their countries,” said Head of the Lao Delegation to the meeting, Mrs Souvanpheng Bouphanouvong.

Mrs Souvanpheng who spoke to the press after the session explained that the resolution adopted would enhance cooperation of ASEAN parliamentarians in the matter of exchange of lessons and experiences. This in turn would facilitate making policy related to the issues.

She said that the old members of AIPO had agreed to support new members to help in activities to achieve the resolution’s goals.

The chairman of the Lao National Assembly, Mr Samane Viyaket, addressed over 50 female AIPO delegates at the meeting’s opening.

The participation of women parliamentarians will help countries in the region to achieve the goals of poverty eradication, development of reproductive health and reduce number of child mortality. These issues are among the region’s major concerns, according to Mr Samane who will chair the 26th General Assembly of AIPO.

“Two-thirds of the population in the Asia-Pacific region live under the poverty line. This has become a threat to the socio-economic development in the region,” said Mr Samane during his speech.

Parliament members have important roles to play in the poverty eradication process, he says.

Participants of the meeting discussed and exchanged lessons and experiences on how to maximise opportunities for parliamentarians to participate in poverty eradication.

A proper policy on reproductive health is important for the countries in the region to produce quality population.

Mr Samane said that if there were a correct policy on reproductive health, it would greatly help in poverty eradication.

Also, for the bright future of new generations, attention on the issue of child survival is an important factor, which helps to determine the national policy on reproductive health.

“Therefore members of parliament have important roles in making a study on legislative policy relating to those issues,” he said.

The WAIPO is a part of the General Assembly of AIPO, which was established in 1998 when women parliamentarians held their first meeting ahead of the 19th AIPO General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

On the same day, AIPO’s administrative committee met to discuss and adopt resolutions taken at various other meetings.

These included the resolutions on fighting against the threat from narcotic drugs and a study done on the prospects of an ASEAN Parliament.

The other resolutions adopted dealt with research in eco-cultural tourism promotion in the ASEAN region and mobilising funds for the research.

The administrative committee meeting also adopted the draft of the 26th General Assembly of AIPO, the topics for discussion among ASEAN member countries and observer nations.