Philippine Congress hosts Asian Regional Consultative Meeting to Review the Common Principles for Parliamentary Development

The Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives, together with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, are hosting the Asian Regional Consultative Meeting to Review the Common Principles for Parliamentary Development today, August 28, 2014, at the Manila Hotel.

More than 20 secretaries general of parliaments across the region and officials from parliamentary development institutes and international organizations are participating in the two-day consultative meeting (August 28 and 29, 2014) aimed at improving the quality of parliamentary development support through better cooperation and coordination.

In a message to the delegates, Senate President Franklin Drilon welcomed them to Manila and expressed the Philippine Senate's long history of active collaboration in the work of the IPU and the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments. "I am again delighted that the Congress of the Philippines is hosting this IPU event which will harness the contribution of Secretaries General of Asian national parliaments, parliamentary officials and parliamentary development organizations to the proposed Common Principles of Parliamentary Development," said Drilon.

In November 2013, a drafting group composed of the European Parliament, the French National Assembly, the United Nations Development Programme, the National Democratic Institute, and the IPU began work on the Principles in response to requests from parliamentary development practitioners. To ensure broad ownership, support and endorsement of the Common Principles, the IPU has invited national parliaments and organizations involved in parliamentary development to contribute to the document.

IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, in a letter to secretaries general of national parliaments from the Asian Region and to officials of organizations that provide parliamentary development support said, "These Principles aim to provide helpful guidelines for suitable and effective parliamentary development assistance by strengthening cooperation, coordination and quality. They are the fruit of the contributions by national parliaments, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and parliamentary development organizations."

The two-day Asian Regional Consultative Meeting in Manila is part of the process of broad consultation to invite final input to the draft Common Principles before it is presented for adoption to the IPU's governing bodies in October 2014.

Senate President Drilon emphasized the importance of the delegates' inputs to the Common Principles when he said, "As each parliament is unique, your inputs on the proposed Common Principles will provide an important Asian perspective to its content, scope and implementation."

Senate Secretary Oscar Yabes in his Opening Remarks before the Asian Regional Consultative Meeting in Manila said, "The Philippine Senate shares the IPU's belief that parliaments are the cornerstones of democracy and that strong democracy can only be achieved by having better parliaments. Thus, I believe that parliaments need to be empowered so they would have the means to carry out their constitutional functions, most important of which is to be the legitimate voice of the people they represent."

The Philippine Congress contingent to the Asian Regional Consultative Meeting to Review the Common Principles for Parliamentary Development is led by Senate Secretary Yabes and House of Representatives Secretary General Marilyn Barua - Yap. Joining them are Senate Deputy Secretary for Legislation Edwin Bellen, Senate Deputy Secretary for Administration and Finance Arnel Jose Bañas, House Deputy Secretary General for Operations Artemio Adasa, and House Deputy Secretary General for Committee Affairs Arlene Dada - Arnaldo. (Philippine Senate Office of International Relations and Protocol)