Both the ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition Democratic Party have co-hosted a special conference on the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) with the theme of women’s leadership and empowerment at the Chosun Hotel in downtown Seoul from Sept. 12-14.
With ICAPP as the official host, led by Chairman Hwang Jin-ha and Vice Chairman Rep. Kim Choon-jin, the National Assembly, the Saenuri Party and the Democratic Party, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family were official supporters of the international event, which was also the 7th special ICAPP conference.
Attending the event were leaders of 45 political parties from some 30 member countries as well as female representatives to boost the position of women around the world by strengthening their capacities and by sharing various opinions and experiences with the main ICAPP conference. The conference was divided into three sessions, with a main conference in which new ideas and opinions to upgrade women’s positions in the world were discussed. The Seoul Declaration on Women’s Leadership and Empowerment was adopted at the closing session of the event in the morning on Sept. 14, which will be a guideline for the ICAPP’s international activities regarding women as well as the base for all political parties in the region.
The main conference on Sept. 13 was divided into three sessions dealing with women’s political leadership, women’s participation in politics, and women’s roles in creating world peace.
ICAPP was set up in Manila in 2000 as an international political consultation facility to contribute to the growth of multi-party democracy and the exchange among political parties to promote cooperation in the region and now has 340 political parties from 51 member countries. Since 2008, ICAPP has been dealing with a single main subject at its meetings and political parties in member nations have been inviting ICAPP to their countries to take up a specific subject of their own choosing. The ICAPP Secretariat is located in Seoul, led by Sec.-Gen. Chung Ui-yong in who also doubles as ICAPP co-chairman.
South Korea has been playing a very important role since the launch of ICAPP in 2000 through pan-political cooperation in holding a number of key ICAPP conferences including the fourth annual meeting in 2006, the fifth through seventh standing committee meetings in 2005 and 2006, the 16th standing committee meeting in 2011, and the first special conference in 2008 dealing with such subjects as the prevention of political corruption.
The recent gathering in Seoul began with a welcoming reception at the Orchid Room of the Chosun Hotel in the evening of Sept. 12 followed by the opening ceremony on Sept. 13 presided over by Co-Chair Park In-sook of the ICAPP Women’s Wing, followed by opening and welcoming speeches in the Grand Ballroom of the Chosun Hotel.
The first main conference took place on the morning of Sept. 13 presided over by Co-Chair Malahat Ibrahimqizi of the ICAPP Women’s Wing with the main subject of Women’s Political Leadership. Heads of political parties present at the meeting also presented their keynote speeches.
The third conference took place in the afternoon with Standing Member of ICAPP Nalinee Taveesin presiding over the gathering with the main subject of the meeting being “Women’s Role in Building Peace.” After which political party leaders continued presenting keynote speeches.
The official dinner, hosted by Speaker Kang Chang-hee of the National Assembly, took place in the Lilac Room of the Chosun Hotel.
The closing ceremony, presided over by Rep. Chun Jeong-hee, took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Chosun Hotel where the Seoul Declaration was adopted. All political party members participating in the conference were invited to a Korean traditional-style official lunch at Samchong-gak hosted jointly by both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party.
