Declaration of the Second International Conference Of Asian Political Parties

"BANGKOK DECLARATION 2002" 

We, the Heads and special representatives of political parties from Commonwealth of Australia, People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Republic of Kyrgyz, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Kingdom of Nepal, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of the Philippines, Russia Federation, Republic of Singapore, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Republic of Tajikistan, Kingdom of Thailand, and Socialist Republic of Vietnam, gathered in Bangkok on 22-24 November 2002, for the Second International Conference of Asian Political Parties.

Recalling the Asian Declaration 2000 adopted by the Heads and special representatives of Asian political parties at its First Conference of Asian Political Parties held at Manila from 17 to 20 September 2000 which constitutes the important framework for the strengthening of a close and cordial relationship among political organizations in Asia; the promotion of our mutual understanding and confidence; and the attainment of Asia-wide peace, stability, concord and prosperity for all our peoples,

Reiterating the central role and responsibility of political parties in national, regional and international policy and development processes and in dealing with the challenges of globalization arising out of the words changing political, economic, social and technological landscapes,

Recognizing that there is an imperative need to pursue our shared vision to transform Asia into a better knowledge-based society through our collective wisdom, combined strengths and coherence of actions to meet the challenges of globalization,

Expressing firm conviction that democracy, good governance, human security, principles of rights, dignity, freedom, well-being and adherence to constitutional principles are essential elements for peace and sustainable development in Asia,

Underlining the vital role of political parties in promoting policies and strategies for the implementation of this Declaration that ensure popular participation, enjoy political consensus, and endure our vision,

Hereby, adopt the Agenda for Action as the embodiment of our commitment to work cooperatively for the betterment of Asia.

Enhancing Asia's regional security

Commit ourselves to creating political, economic, social, cultural and legal environment that will make Asia a zone of secure stability, peace, freedom and prosperity among the peoples,

Respect each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; and respect the right of every state to determine its own political, economic and social systems in an interdependent world,

Reinforce peace by promoting tolerance, non-violence and respect for our diversity, and by settling disputes by peaceful means, especially to achieve permanent and lasting cooperation and dialogues among all religions, cultures and civilizations,

Urge our respective governments to strengthen national mechanisms and bilateral, regional and international cooperation in combating terrorism and to ratify or accede to more international anti-terrorist conventions, support the role of the United Nations in this regard, and work together to create international confidence that Asia is safe to travel and to engage in economic activities, 

Welcome the initiative to establish a regional framework for fighting human and drug trafficking and other transnational crimes and to adopt a strategy and plan of action to prevent, control and neutralize the crime,

Support global initiatives aimed at achieving general and complete disarmament, including the disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons,

Agree to set up an Asian network of centers for conflict management and prevention,

On good governance and political participation

Respect internationally recognized human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms,

Pledge to work in partnerships with private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society so as to enhance democracy and promote good governance,

Commit ourselves to creating political environments that enable citizens to fully participate in political processes in order to improve respective governments' effectiveness, efficiency and responses to the needs of the peoples,

Minimize "money politics," cronyism and corruption by encouraging our governments to undertake reforms to enhance transparency and accountability in governments and to institute a system of state allocation for political parties,

Towards greater economic cooperation

Welcome the final outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development on 22 March 2002 in Monterrey, Mexico,

Promote economic growth and development as catalysts of change to enhance the capabilities of people and allow greater human freedom, 

Recognize that economies must be developed in a sustainable manner to ensure that the environment is conserved and protected for future generations,

Commit ourselves to enhancing the role of regional and sub-regional agreements and free trade areas, consistent with the multilateral trading system, in construction of a better world trading system,

Support the efforts of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping to strengthen the regional financial system in order to attain Asia's greater stability,

Welcome the initiative of the Royal Thai Government in inaugurating the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) on 18-19 June 2002 in Thailand, as a means to enhance Asia-wide's strength, cooperation and competitiveness in international economic order,

Strive to ensure that Asian countries draw upon the strengths of our rich history, culture and natural resources, and pool them together so as to create synergy and economic partnership,

Promote the principles of equal participation in the multilateral decision-making process, especially in the World Trade Organization (WTO), and urge our respective governments to work cooperatively in the WTO negotiations for further integration of our countries into the world economy in the context of fair trade,

Encourage the members of the WTO to implement the outcome of its Fourth Ministerial Conference, held in Doha, Qatar, from 9-14 November 2001, to ensure the meaningful and full participation of developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations, taking into account the special differential treatment that developing countries deserve,

Further economic reform to improve corporate governance and financially sound regulation, and urge continued efforts to enhance the effectiveness of mechanisms to prevent recurrence of economic crisis in Asia,

Emphasize human resources development as an essential component of international development cooperation and that there is a need to promote continuous training and capacity building within projects and programmes as a means of advancing such development,

Urge our respective governments to strengthen the foundations for sustainable growth, job creation and well-balanced monetary and fiscal policies in order to enhance the adaptability and competitiveness of our economies,

Recognize the important roles of information and communication technologies in the age of globalization and the growing digital divide between countries, thereby urge our governments to work jointly on information and communication technologies application and development,

For a sustained human security and social development

Emphasize the United Nations Millennium Declaration development goals of sustained economic growth, poverty eradication and sustainable development,

Recognize that poverty remains a major problem in Asia, and we pledge to continue our efforts in eradicating the problem from our societies,

Promote the exchange of experiences and the transfer of best practices on poverty alleviation, as well as human capacity building,

Welcome the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation unanimously approved at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on 4 September 2002,

Stress that human, economic and social development and environmental protection are the four pillars of the sustainable development principle, and there is an imperative need to protect and manage the natural resources base of economic and social development,

Note with concern that the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen in Asia, and encourage the adoption of policies, approaches and measures that serve to narrow this increasing gap,

Urge our respective governments to develop a greater capacity to provide universal health, basic education, social safety nets and other services to the peoples, especially the poor and those most in need, to enable individuals to embrace global change and trade liberalization, while enhancing social cohesion,

Encourage further efforts to combat HIV/AIDS at the national and international level through a combined strategy of prevention, vaccine development and appropriate therapy, and we welcome the efforts of UNAIDS in the fight against HIV/AIDS,

Call for the recognition of, and respect for, cultural diversity and the cultural rights for all, which contributes to a wider exchange of knowledge and understanding of cultural backgrounds and fosters stable, friendly relations among peoples and countries in Asia,

Encourage a broader dialogue to continue to include shared experiences on social development and adaptation to the new global realities. We support the inter-parliamentary dialogue initiated by the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) and allied regional groupings.

Concluding statement

To ensure the continuity of our commitment to the Agenda for Action, the Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties shall implement a mechanism to continue the discussions covering regional security, good governance, political participation, economic cooperation, human security and social development.

Finally, we express our deep gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Leader of Thai Rak Thai Party and Prime Minister of Thailand, and the Thai political parties for the warm hospitality and for hosting this Bangkok Meeting with excellent arrangements, with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the King Prajadhipok's Institute.

Adopted by unanimous acclamation this 24th day of November 2002, at Bangkok, Thailand.