Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the fifth annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia from January 7 to January 10 of this year.
The meeting was hosted by the Parliament of Canada and I can proudly report that it was highly successful and productive.
Parliamentarians from 21 Asia-Pacific nations met to discuss important regional and global issues. Twenty-one separate resolutions were adopted dealing with such matters as terrorism, drug trafficking, land mines and the environment. The Canadian delegation was most instrumental in proposing and having adopted important resolutions on education and literacy, on human rights, including the exploitation of children and women.
In conclusion, I want to draw the House's attention to the fact that the right hon. Prime Minister addressed the delegates at the opening plenary session. He spoke of the importance of the APPF and how parliamentarians are an essential part of the decision making process and should play an active role in international relations.