Draft Resolution Sponsored by the Lao People's Democratic Republic

THE SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM

Reaffirming the conclusion of the World Food Summit in 1996, which adopted the Rome Declaration and the declaration adopted at the FAO High Level Conference on World Food Security;

Recognizing the important role of Food which serves as the economic foundation for socio-economic development and has begun to be discussed as a critical issue in APPF member countries;

Realizing the effective cooperation among APPF Member States in providing Food Security and preventing food shortages resulting from natural disasters and unpredictable circumstances;

Reaffirming the readiness to share and exchange information, for greater networking, mobilization of resources and increased efforts to achieve food security;

Resolves to:

1.             Welcome and Support efforts made by APPF Member Governments to promote cooperation in food programs;

2.             Urge APPF Member States to set up a mechanism directed at greater production of rice and other staple foods in order to produce sufficient rice and the basic food supplies to meet the necessary caloric intake for the entire population in the region, and to include the establishment of a Food Security Fund and Food Security Bank;

3.             Call on the governments of APPF Member States to develop, upgrade and expand road access, infrastructure, and electricity and irrigation systems, as well as other related facilities to accelerate the development of Food Security Programs;

4.             Call upon APPF Member Parliaments, through their legislative activities to maximize each Member’s internal strengths in order to harmonize the legal and regulatory frameworks of the countries in the region with a view of strengthening intra-APPF cooperation, thus creating favorable conditions and incentives for public and private partnership in Food Security Development;

5.             Request APPF Member Countries to strengthen cooperation on Food Programs, to reinforce the exchange of public policies, to provide access to market information, and to establish food security research and development institutes, and the sharing of the best practices and expertise, technologies, know-how and capital to ensure food supplies for economic growth, and to eradicate the poverty in the region;

6.             Request APPF member countries to strengthen the cooperation in promoting sustainable food production, and encouraging greater investments in food and agro-based industries to enhance food security, and to address the development of bio-energy taking into consideration the impact on food security, and to consider the impact of climate change on food security.