Summary Report on the Outcomes of
the 12th Meeting of the Standing Committee of
the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP)
(Kathmandu, Nepal, February 26-28, 2010)

The 12th Meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) was held in Kathmandu, Nepal under the auspice of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) during February 26-28, 2010.  The program and the list of participants are attached as Appendixes 1 and 2.

The following understanding and agreements were made at the meeting:

First, the Members adopted unanimously a special statement in which they expressed strong support and solidarity to efforts of the people and the government of Nepal under the leadership of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to successfully conclude the peace process and the constitution-making process in Nepal.  The statement is attached as Appendix 3.

Second, the Members reconfirmed their commitment to the principle of negotiated settlement of political differences through expanded dialogue among political parties, both domestically and internationally.  In this respect, they took note with satisfaction of the recent resumption of talks between high-level government officials of India and Pakistan following the continued efforts by the ICAPP to promote party-to-party dialogue between the two countries.  Similarly, they agreed to continue their efforts and to promote dialogue among the major political parties to resolve regional disputes by peaceful means.

Third, the Members welcomed the offer by the FUNCINPEC Party and the Cambodia People¡¯s Party to co-host the 6th General Assembly of the ICAPP in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia in late November or early December 2010 under the main theme of ¡°Asia¡¯s Quest for a Better Tomorrow,¡± with special emphasis on economy, energy and environment.  They also agreed to the procedures and the tentative program for the GA.  The exact dates for the GA will be decided in due course after checking on necessary logistics.  In this respect, the Members agreed to the tentative program and procedures of the GA.  They also acknowledged the report by the Secretariat that 263 political parties in 51 countries and 1 territory (Palestinian National Authority) in the region meet the criteria to be eligible to participate in the ICAPP activities as of the end of January 2010.  The list of the political parties is attached as Appendix 4.

Fourth, the Members welcomed the initiative by the Communist Party of China(CPC) to host a Special Workshop on ¡°Poverty Reduction and Alleviation under Globalization¡± in early July 2010.  The program of the workshop will include field trips in the western China and meetings in Beijing.  The CPC will soon prepare a concept paper on the workshop which will include the scope of participants and the way to link the outcome of the workshop with other regional and global initiatives to fight poverty, such as the United Nations¡¯ Millenium Development Goals(MDGs).

Fifth, it was agreed to hold the 13th and 14th Meetings of the SC during the special workshop in China and the 6th GA in Cambodia.  The Members also welcomed the offers made by Malaysia and Korea to host the 15th and 16th Meetings of the SC during 2011.  Russia and Bahrain have also expressed their willingness to host the SC Meetings in the future.

Sixth, the Members agreed to set up a joint working group between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the Executive Council of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) to coordinate their activities for Asian integration.  They agreed that the group will be composed of five representatives from each side and requested the Secretary Generals of the ICAPP and the APA to work on the agenda of the joint working group with a view to holding the first session in Jakarta, Indonesia in August 2010 or in Damascus, Syria in November 2010. 

Seventh, the Members agreed to hold the 2nd Joint Session between the ICAPP Standing Committee and the Coordinating Body of the Permanent Conference of Political Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL) on the margins of the 6th GA to be held in Cambodia.  

Eighth, the Members agreed to continue their efforts, in cooperation with the COPPPAL, to reach out to the political parties in Africa and help them establish an organization among themselves.  In this respect, they requested the Secretary General to establish contacts with major political parties in Africa and coordinate efforts with them to convene the first trilateral meeting among political parties in Asia, Latin America and Africa in near future.

Ninth, the Members welcomed three new Members of the Standing Committee, nominated by the three political parties which had been newly invited to serve in the SC until the end of the 6th GA, i.e. New Azerbaijan Party of Azerbaijan, Islamic National Menber Society of Bahrain, and Democratic Party of Japan.

They also welcomed two new Members who have replaced outgoing Members representing Communist Party of China and ¡°Nur Otan¡± People¡¯s Democratic Party of Kazakhstan. In this regard, the Members also acknowledged the arrangements between the two main political parties in Japan, i.e. Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party, that as long as Japan retains membership in the ICAPP SC, the representative of the political party with the largest number of seats in the Parliament at the time would represent Japan at the SC as its member, while the representative of the political party with second largest number of seats in the Parliament would attend the SC meetings as an observer to coordinate among themselves to ensure maximum contributions to the ICAPP objectives and activities.  It was further noted that the similar arrangements had been reached between the two main political parties in the Republic of Korea, i.e. Grand National Party and Democratic Party, after the general elections in April 2008. 

Appendix 1: Program of the Meeting
Appendix 2: List of Participants
Appendix 3: Statement on the Peace Process of Nepal
Appendix 4: List of Eligible Political Parties