SAPA General Forum Strategize Asian Civil Society Advocacy Plans
7 February 2007 6:00 pm

The recent Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy (SAPA) concluded its General Forum with a set of clear action plans on effective advocacy for Asian civil society and people's movement. Attended by  more than 100 representatives from more than 60 national and regional NGOs, people's organizations, and trade unions, the forum was organized by FORUM-ASIA, convener of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) for SAPA,  together with several civil society organisations in the region.The recent Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) concluded its General Forum with a set of clear action plans on effective advocacy for Asian civil society and people’s movement.

The forum, attended by  more than 100 representatives from more than 60 national and regional NGOs, people’s organizations, and trade unions was organized by FORUM-ASIA, convener of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) for SAPA together with Southeast Asian Committee for Advocacy (SEACA), Migrant Forum Asi (MFA), Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (AsiaDHHRA), Focus on the Global South (FOCUS), and Third World Network (TWN).

The two-day forum, from 5-6 February 2007, brought together challenging cross-sectoral issues for the Asian civil society movement in Asia, while it facilitated discussion; strategies for future plan of action; engagement; and advocacy with respective inter-government bodies.

Other issues addressed in the forum included democracy and human rights, sustainable development and environment; globalization, trade, finance and labour; peace and human security, including the roles of Business Trans-national Corporation (TNCs) and trades in relations to its impact on the violation of human rights.

Issues less integrated within the Southeast Asian movement such as militarization and nuclear weapons proliferations were also discussed, for example, increased militarization and rising threat to peace and human security in the Northeast Asia region brought about by the Japanese government.  Shared problems of no regional human rights mechanism across sub-regional level were also raised.

SAPA will continue to engage with inter-government processes including ASEAN, SAARC and the UN. Aside from the cross-sectoral discussions; the forum also provided the opportunities for the SAPA Working Group (WG) to be strengthened.

Meanwhile, the SAPA WG on ASEAN and the WG on Migration and Labour held its back to back meeting on the 4 February. Earlier, the first consultation on Human Rights Council was held, where SAPA WG on UN Human Rights Mechanism (WG on Human Rights) was established.

A new Working group – SAPA WG on Northeast Asia – was also created to strengthen the campaign initiated by Peace Boat in Japan for the demilitarization and the creation of peace and human security in the region.

Following this forum; a united working calendar will be established to bring together campaigns during the 2007-2008 periods for more cohesive campaigns on national, regional and international engagement with inter-government institutes.

For regular updates on SAPA processes, please visit: www.asiasapa.org