DPR Becomes Host Of Parliamentary Sessions In ASEAN And Profits For This Republic

JAKARTA - Puan Maharani ensured that the DPR was ready to host the General Assembly of Parliament in Southeast Asia or the ASEAN Inter-parlementary Assembly (AIPA). The DPR will carry out the assignment well in order to strengthen Indonesia's reputation in the eyes of the world.

"With this trust, countries in ASEAN even around the world will increasingly take into account Indonesia as a potential and reliable country to cooperate in various fields. This is a credit point for the Indonesian nation to be trusted at the global level," said the chairman of the DPR, Friday, July 21.

The House of Representatives will host the 44th ASEAN Interparlementary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly which will be held in Jakarta on August 5-10. This is one of the peaks of the chairmanship of the Indonesian House of Representatives in AIPA in 2023, in line with Indonesia's chairmanship in ASEAN this year.

The Indonesian House of Representatives carries the theme Responsive Parliaments for A Stable and Prosperous ASEAN or Responsive Parliament for ASEAN Stable and Prosperous at the 44th AIPA General Assembly. The session will be attended by around 500 participants consisting of members of parliament 10 ASEAN countries including Indonesia, 20 observer countries, and representatives from 12 international organizations.

It is known, Indonesia has been one of the centers of parliamentary diplomacy in the last 2 years. After successfully holding the 144th Assembly Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Bali and the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) in Jakarta in 2022, in 2023 the DPR will again host the 44th AIPA General Assembly event.

Complementing government diplomacy, the parliamentary diplomacy carried out by the DPR is to fight for the achievement of world peace, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Parliamentary contribution to peace is increasingly needed when it tightens tensions over various major world powers, as seen from the war in Ukraine, and tensions in the South China Sea.

"If the world is safer, then it is the people who get the advantage," said Puan.

At the 144th IPU session, the DPR also mobilized parliaments of various countries to overcome various world problems such as the issue of global warming, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this connection, the theme of the upcoming 44th AIPA cyding, namely 'Responsive Parliaments for A Stable and Prosperous ASEAN', becomes very relevant. Because parliament needs to play a role in responding to various global challenges that affect the Southeast Asia region. Parliament in this area needs to provide political support for the creation of a stable and prosperous Southeast Asia region.

Several series have been held in Indonesia towards the 44th AIPA General Assembly such as the AIPA-ASEAN Preparatory Meeting held in Labuan Bajo, NTT, to support the 42nd ASEAN Summit where Indonesia will host in May 2023.

In the AIPA-ASEAN Preparatory Meeting, Puan as President of AIPA 2023 led Southeast Asian parliaments to convey AIPA Massage or AIPA Message to ASEAN country leaders at the Summit. Puan also raised issues about the protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) who received a lot of violence at the ASEAN Summit.

In addition to the AIPA-ASEAN Preparatory Meeting, the DPR has also held the 6th Session of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD) or the Advisory Board of the Association between ASEAN Parliaments related to Dangerous Drugs which took place on 30-31 May 2023 in Bogor, West Java.

In the AIPACODD trial with the theme 'Supporting Inclusive Economic Growth for Drug-Free ASEAN', all delegates present were involved in discussions that emphasized the importance of community development assistance and capacity building to improve the life skills of individuals living in drug-prone areas.

AIPACODD Agenda was ended with a draft resolution agreement signed by parliamentary delegates from each ASEAN country.

Then there is also the Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (WAIPA) or Committee for Women Parliament AIPA which was held in Padang, West Sumatra, last June. This WAIPA session took the theme Encing ASEAN Resilience through Women Leadership and Gender-Responsive Parliament.

Through WAIPA, ASEAN countries are trying to summarize a more inclusive and resilient joint commitment to women's groups. WAIPA also promotes women's leadership, empowers women entrepreneurs, strengthens gender-responsive laws, and overcomes gender-based violence.

The WAIPA trial also resulted in the same draft resolution as AIPACODD. The resolution from the WAIPA and AIPACODD sessions will be brought to the AIPA general assembly in early August.

With the success of these series of events, Puan believes that the AIPA General Assembly in Jakarta will be successful. He emphasized that Indonesia continues to strive to show its capacity and capability in every international event. The DPR itself has proven its success during the 144th IPU General Session in Bali, and the P20 Session in Jakarta last year.

"On every occasion where we are trusted to host an international event, the DPR is always committed to giving its best for the success of the event and in order to improve Indonesia's good name," said Puan.

Puan explained that Indonesia's readiness as the host of international events was also supported by adequate infrastructure. According to Puan, Indonesia has succeeded in demonstrating its ability to provide modern facilities to support big events because the quality of venues and other facilities reaches international standards and is able to accommodate thousands of participants and provide comfort and security.

"In the event that invited participants from various countries in the world, Indonesia succeeded in presenting a smooth, stunning, and safe organizing order," said Puan.

"The organization of this international event opens up opportunities for Indonesia to host more prestigious events in the future. Not only will it be a show of strength, but also an opportunity to introduce the beauty and potential of Indonesia to the world," concluded Puan.