James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of Senator Fawcett, I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 42nd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, which took place virtually from 23 to 25 August 2021. I seek leave to incorporate a tabling statement into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

I am pleased to present the report of the delegation to the 42nd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, AIPA.

I was joined on this virtual delegation by Ms Maria Vamvakinou, the Member for Calwell, in August.

I would like to begin by congratulating Brunei Darussalam, this year's host nation, for holding a successful general assembly - the second AIPA assembly to be held virtually as a result of the pandemic.

As I said in the opening statement I made to the assembly as the head of delegation, ASEAN is a critical partner for Australia, a partner we have supported since ASEAN's creation. We share the same vision of prosperous, secure and vibrant societies, working to advance sustainable and inclusive development, within a peaceful region built on respect for the rule of law. We share the same concerns for our region, and work together to ensure it remains inclusive, resilient and open.

The theme of this year's assembly centred around digital inclusion. In the plenary sessions we both attended, as well as in the meeting of Women Parliamentarians of AIPA, which Ms Vamvakinou attended, the discussions focused on the great power that the digital economy has to transform the ASEAN region and the opportunities it creates for SMEs and innovation. However, as many speakers remarked, the possibility of rapid economic growth must not be pursued at the expense of inclusivity, safety and sustainability. I was pleased to note in my opening statement that Australia is working with ASEAN on digital trade and on cooperation to ensure robust cyber security.

Member countries' responses to the pandemic was a common thread throughout the discussions. Many speakers noted that one of the effects of COVID-19 had been the increased uptake of digital technologies, including by parliaments.

Some speakers also highlighted the need for member countries to progress legislation to ratify and implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which Australia is also a party to. I was encouraged by the discussion of the situation in Myanmar, following the coup in February, and the recognition of the need for action. A response to the coup in Myanmar was also the subject of committee discussion.

While the Australian delegation attended the plenary sessions, as an observer nation, we were not included in the committee meetings. If approved by the hosts, observing committee proceedings would been opportunity for Australian delegations to deepen their understanding of AIPA and the challenges it must rise to, and we suggest that future delegations seek to attend select committee meetings in addition to the plenaries.

Online events have fewer chances for less formal engagement between delegates-for example, through bilateral meetings. Once circumstances permit, Australian participation in future AIPA assemblies should be in person again to allow more opportunities for engagement and relationship building with ASEAN counterparts.

Australia values its role as annual observers to the AIPA general assembly. We have always enjoyed strong relationships with the people and parliamentarians of ASEAN, and we look forward to continuing this, preferably in person in years to come.