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(April 16, 2008/ Brussels, Belgium) The Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE) met the CALD delegation for their
biennial meeting held at the European Parliament (EP). This year,
the joint initiative of ALDE and CALD to confront global issues
was shared with the participation of the ALDEPAC, a grouping of
liberal and democratic members from the Pacific, African and the
Caribbean.
On the first day, the ALDE group secretariat organized a welcome
dinner at Restaurant de L'Ogenblik. This was attended by the
CALD delegation, ALDE members of the European Parliament from
and Friedrich Naumann Foundation representatives. Hon. Graham
Waston MEP, leader of ALDE, Dr. Jurgen Wickert, director of
International Political Dialogue of the Friedrich Naumann
Foundation and Hon. Franklin Drilon, gave their welcome
greetings on behalf of their respective organizations.
The CALD and ALDEPAC delegation was invited the next day to
participate during ALDE’s regular meetings. One of the reports
extensively discussed was the recent election in Italy. Italian
MEP’s informed the plenary about the plans and reforms needed to
be taken in consideration after the loss of their center-left
candidate and Democratic Party leader, Walter Veltroni.
The plenary then proceeded to the formal opening where Hon.
Franklin M. Drilon, former senate president of the Philippines,
former chair of CALD and current chair of the Liberal Party of
the Philippines, was among the liberal stalwarts who opened the
occasion. ”Our presence in this gathering manifests our strong
commitment to promote democratic ideals, uphold the rule of law
and defend human rights,” Drilon said. He was joined by Hon.
Graham Watson, MEP and Mr. Johan van Hecke, co-president of
ALDEPAC in welcoming the delegates.
Ms. Chee Siok Chin, representative of the Singapore Democratic
Party, also delivered a welcome message on behalf of embattled
CALD chair, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, who until now is unable to
travel due to the repression of the Singapore government.
According to her, organizations such as ALDE, CALD and ALDEPAC
emphasize the importance of networks that seek the same
universal vision of freedom, democracy and human rights even in
the face of great trials.
The conference focused on three topics of global significance,
namely: the climate change imperative, the global fight against
human trafficking and child prostitution, and the responses to
human dignity challenges.
Among the speakers in Session I were Hon. Vittorio Prodi, vice
president of the EP Temporary Committee on Climate change, Ms.
Lena Ek, ALDE coordinator of the EP Temporary Committee on
Climate Change, Ambassador Kasit Piromya, director of
International Affairs of the Democrat Party of Thailand and Hon.
Youssouf Moussa Dawaleh MP, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation Committee in Djibouti. Dr. Toh Kin
Woon, member of the Central Committee of the Parti Gerakan
Rakyat Malaysia, chaired the session.
The luncheon meeting was attended by Hon. Louis Michel, European
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, where he
explained that “liberals don’t have to be defensive about
integrating ethics in our politics.”
The second session on human trafficking was led by panelists
Hon. Bi-Khim Hsiao, director of International Affairs Department
of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, Hon. Jules Maaten,
MEP from ALDE, and Hon. Henriette Mukamurangwa Sebera, MP from
Rwanda. Hon. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, MEP, president of the
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), chaired the
session.
In Session III on human dignity, the speakers were Mr. Piero
Fassino, EU special envoy for Burma/Myanmar,
Ms. Yolande Mukagasana, survivor of the Rwandan genocide,
author and creator of "Association Nyamirambo Point d'Appui," a
foundation to remember the Genocide and assist in the
reconstruction of the country, Hon. Marco Cappato, MEP, European
Parliament rapporteur on Human Rights 2008 and Hon. Frank Drilon.
Hon. Amini Waziri Tambuwal, Member of Parliament from Nigeria,
chaired the last session.
The meeting was formally closed by Dr. Neric Acosta, CALD
secretary general, quoting the former Czech president, Vaclac
Havel’s reflections on “inner freedom and the spaces of
conscience to help transform society.”
Hon. Christophe Lutundula, Vice-President of the National
Assembly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Hon. Graham
Watson, MEP gave their respective concluding remarks as well.
The meeting ended with a farewell dinner, serving a sumptuous
Belgian banquet, at an elegant Chinese Pavilion on the northern
corner of the royal park of Brussels. This pavilion was
commissioned by Belgium's King Leopold II, after he saw
something similar in Paris at the 1900 Universal Exposition.
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