The fourth plenary and second general assembly of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI) is focusing its deliberations on peaceful reconciliation and the anticipation of climate change in the Asia Pacific region.

The two-day event started on Monday with 130 participants from 19 countries. The participants consisted of 25 CAPDI members, 48 special guests, 39 delegates from Cambodia and 12 delegates from the Philippines.

Among those attending the event were leaders and former heads of state, including Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and his deputy Sok An, former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, former Philippine parliamentary speaker and CAPDI president José de Venesia, former Nepalese prime minister and CAPDI vice president Madlav Kumar, and Pakistani senator Musahid Hussain Sayed, as well as former vice president Jusuf Kalla, who also chairs CAPDI.

The conference, which carries the theme of '€œMobilizing Governments, Political Parties and Civil Societies to Promote Peace and Reconciliation and to Fight Climate Change in Asia'€ was opened by Coordinating Minister for People'€™s Welfare Agung Laksono, representing the government.

In his keynote speech, Agung said the Asian region was facing major challenges, not only war, but also crimes and trans-border crises, such as border disputes, human trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism and smuggling.

'€œThese are major challenges that must be resolved together,'€ he said.

CAPDI president Jose de Venesia deemed that conflicts, especially in the Asia Pacific region must be resolved peacefully by focusing on reconciliation and dialogue between disputing parties.

'€œWe must further promote peace, resolve conflict by peaceful means, hold dialogue with conflicting parties and explain their rights. We hope that this method could serve as a means for conflict resolution, not only in the Asia Pacific region, but also across the world,'€ he said.

Kalla concurred, saying the use of violence in resolving conflict should be left behind.

'€We must reduce crisis and conflict in order to create peace. Peaceful measures must prevail,'€ he said.

Kalla added the conference was dedicated to all nations in the world, to recommend conflict reconciliation and anticipate and reduce the impact of climate change.

'€For the sake of the future generation, we must believe in the possibility of a world without war because experience tells us that there is no lone action that could be the scourge of war or cruelty of intolerance, or that could prevent activities that add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We need to be together for this,'€ said Kalla.

Hun Sen perceived the theme of the conference was very relevant for the current context, the future of the Asia Pacific region and the world.

'€œI hope the CAPDI conference would be able to reflect the need to work together for every stakeholder so as to ensure peace, stability, sustainable development and regional and global harmony,'€ he said.

He also urged every CAPDI member to continue fighting threats undermining national stability, such as border disputes, religious conflict, terrorism, nuclear disarmament, global warming and climate change, natural disasters and human trafficking. Regarding the climate change issue, Asia Pacific countries have been urged to play an active role in protecting the environment.

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