Delegates, including those from the eight member countries of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the UN Development Programme, discussed a wide range of issues such as the consequences of the global economic crisis and the role of legislative bodies in coping with it.

Emerging issues in stepping up economic restructuring, effective state governance, hunger eradication and poverty reduction for the target of sustainable development were also debated at the conference.

Recommendations will be submitted to the 31st AIPA General Assembly scheduled for Hanoi in September this year and to leaders of the member parliaments.

The participants suggested the AIPA member nations boost their efforts to ensure a smooth economic recovery and further promote the flow of investment and trade to take advantage of post-crisis opportunities. They emphasised the need to boost the transfer of technology and mutual support in production, develop clean energy and green technology, reduce the impact of climate change, prevent natural disasters, accelerate human resources development, support small- and medium-sized enterprises, ensure food security, combat trade protectionism and narrow the development gap.

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation among the AIPA nations to improve their legal systems during the post-crisis period and urge their governments to speed up the implementation of the 30^th AIPA General Assembly Resolution on the global financial-economic crisis.