U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) announced today that the 10th General Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in January 2002 will be held in Honolulu at the East-West Center. Senator Akaka attended the APPF 9th General Meeting from January 15-18, 2001, in Valparaiso, Chile, at the Chilean National Congress. During discussions on convening the 10th annual meeting, Senator Akaka extended the invitation to come to Hawaii on behalf of the United States delegation. He praised the work of the East-West Center and urged acceptance of the Center's invitation to host the next meeting. The decision to hold the 2002 meeting in Hawaii was unanimous.

The Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum is a forum of national parliamentarians of the Asia Pacific region that provides opportunities for discussions on matters of common concern and interest to the region. Founded by former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, the APPF acts as the legislative branch of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The forum acts to promote greater regional identification and cooperation on issues of peace, security, sustainable development, environmental protection, and free trade and investment. Issues discussed at the 9th annual meeting included political and security issues in the Korean Peninsula, nuclear and missile proliferation, China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), and international cooperation on the global issues of terrorism, illegal narcotics, infectious diseases, and the human genome.

The Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum is accessible on the Internet at www.appf.cl.