The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 122nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (Bangkok, Thailand) and bilateral visit to the People’s Republic of China Report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation 25 March to 11 April 2010 © Commonwealth of Australia 2010 ISBN 978-0-642-79390-4 printed version For more information about the Australian Parliament visit www.aph.gov.au or contact the International and Community Relations Office: Email: [email protected] Phone: +61 2 6277 4340 Fax: +61 2 6277 2000 Contents Membership of the delegation ............................................................................................................. vi Preface ............................................................................................................................................... vii 1 122nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly ........................................................ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 General debate ........................................................................................................................... 2 Standing committees ................................................................................................................... 3 Emergency item .......................................................................................................................... 4 Special presentations .................................................................................................................. 5 Nuclear security ............................................................................................................. 5 Child survival and maternal health ................................................................................. 6 2 186th Session of the Governing Council ............................................................. 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 Membership ................................................................................................................................ 9 Activity reports........................................................................................................................... 10 Cooperation with the United Nations ......................................................................................... 10 IPU reform ................................................................................................................................. 11 Financial results ........................................................................................................................ 12 Parliamentary strengthening ..................................................................................................... 12 Committee reports ..................................................................................................................... 14 Future meetings ........................................................................................................................ 14 Amendments to statutes and rules ............................................................................................ 15 iv 3 257th Session of the Executive Committee ....................................................... 17 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 17 Observers ................................................................................................................................. 17 Financial matters ....................................................................................................................... 18 Management issues .................................................................................................................. 18 4 15th Meeting of Women Parliamentarians ......................................................... 21 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 21 Activity reports........................................................................................................................... 22 Issues debated.......................................................................................................................... 22 Coordinating Committee ........................................................................................................... 23 5 Subsidiary committees and other activities ..................................................... 25 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 25 Meetings of geopolitical groups ................................................................................................. 25 Bilateral meetings ...................................................................................................................... 26 Pacific delegations meeting ...................................................................................................... 26 Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians .............................................................. 28 Committee on Middle East Questions ....................................................................................... 28 Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law ......................................... 28 Group of Facilitators for Cyprus ................................................................................................ 30 Gender Partnership Group ........................................................................................................ 30 Panel discussions ..................................................................................................................... 31 Fulfilling the Convention on the Rights of the Child ...................................................... 31 Preserving our oceans ................................................................................................. 32 Briefing sessions ....................................................................................................................... 33 Making aid work ........................................................................................................... 33 International disaster cooperation ................................................................................ 33 Birth registration ........................................................................................................... 34 Field visits ................................................................................................................................. 34 Meetings of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments .......................................... 35 6 Visit to the People's Republic of China ............................................................. 37 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 37 Hong Kong and Macau ............................................................................................................. 37 v Guangdong ............................................................................................................................... 38 Ningxia ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Beijing ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Shanghai ................................................................................................................................... 46 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix A: Resolution on cooperation and shared responsibility in the global fight against organized crime, in particular drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, trafficking in persons and cross-border terrorism ................................................................................................................ 51 Appendix B: Resolution on the role of parliaments in developing South-South and Triangular Cooperation with a view to accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development Goals ........................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix C: Resolution on youth participation in the democratic process ........................................ 61 Appendix D: Resolution on the role of parliaments in strengthening the solidarity of the international community towards the people of Haiti and Chile in the wake of devastating major disasters, and urgent actions required in all disaster-prone countries to improve disaster-risk assessment, prevention and mitigation ......................................................................... 65 Appendix E: Resolutions concerning the Human Rights of Parliamentarians .................................... 67 Appendix F: Meetings of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments ...........................