Asian Liberals Participate in Liberal International Congress & Germany Executive Mission

It was a trip to Europe during turbulent times, but it was certainly worth it.

A delegation from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) travelled to the European continent to take part in the 75^th Liberal International (LI) Congress and Germany Executive Mission on 27 June – 8 July 2022.

The members of the delegation came from the following countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. They are incumbent or former government officials and/or officials of their respective political parties.  The head of the delegation was Francis Gerald Abaya, former member of the Philippine House of Representatives and CALD secretary general.

From 28 June to 3 July, the delegation was in Sofia, Bulgaria for the LI Congress.  With the theme “Reconstructing the Liberal Order”, the global liberal gathering took place with the devastating Russia-Ukraine war serving as the backdrop.  The war, with its attack on liberal and democratic values and implications on energy and food security, necessitates a coordinated global response, which the LI Congress could help realize.  As what LI President Hakima el Haite said in her welcome message, the event was meant to gather “the political experience, expertise and wisdom of our members to consolidate our work, strengthen our network and lead the way for the reconstruction of a liberal order.”

To achieve this objective, the Congress incorporated varied activities such as plenary sessions, working groups, high-level meetings, workshops and trainings, panel discussions, policy debate and fireside chat, among others. One of the highlights of the event was the Council of Liberal Presidents (COLP) meeting, which CALD Chairperson Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan participated in virtually.

In his intervention, Pangilinan called for a reconstruction of a liberal world order in a way that responds to current and future challenges.  He said: “We are aware that our enemies – populists and autocrats – are using unconventional, immoral and illegal means to perpetuate themselves and their kind in power. We must make sure that our strategies and tactics as Liberals and Democrats, while guided by the principles and values of liberal democracy, are responsive and effective against those used by authoritarians and populists.”

There was also a panel discussion on “Defence and Security in a New World Order”, where CALD Secretary General Abaya served as a speaker, together with panelists from Ukraine, Chile and Bulgaria.  The panel analyzed the latest developments that put global peace and security at risk, and was moderated by Emil Kirjas, LI non-executive vice president and former secretary general. Abaya, in his presentation, emphasized how defence and security in the Asia-Pacific are tied with the interests and policies of the United States and China. He also noted how the Taiwan strait crisis and South China Sea dispute, like the ongoing war in Ukraine, could be threats to global security.

Another highlight of the LI Congress was the adoption of the World Today Resolution (WTR), a historic document that expresses an opinion on political events between LI congresses in a given country or region. Amidst the dangers and uncertainties confronting the world today, LI reiterated in the WTR preamble that: “People all over the world want to be free, and they are willing to fight for that freedom… Across our continents, we are all united by our conviction that free people and free societies are the only way our planet can prosper. It is up to us to fight against oppression – no matter where in the world it may rear its head.” The Asian component of the Sofia WTR can be read here.

On 3-7 July, the CALD delegation was in Germany for an executive mission. The objectives of the mission were the following: (1) to discuss ways on how to support and strengthen liberal democracy in Europe and Asia particularly in light of the rise of populism, authoritarianism and illiberalism; and (2) to tackle possible areas of cooperation between CALD, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), and other relevant organizations or institutions on various fields such as transnational advocacy, political education and research, institution-building and political communication.

In line with these objectives, the delegation met with representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office, Federal Ministry for Education and Research and Federal Parliament. Konrad Lax, deputy head of the department ASEAN-member states/ARF/APEC of the Federal Foreign Office, discussed Germany’s China policy, as well as the country’s stance on specific human rights and rule of law issues in Asia. On the other hand, Mario Brandenburg and Johanna Borsch-Supan of the Education and Research Ministry, informed the delegation about Germany’s programs on historical and political education. Frank Müller-Rosentritt of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag tackled how Western countries, including Germany, could play a more prominent role in Asia in order to counter China’s influence.

The CALD delegation also had briefings on  recent developments on German politics and FNF’s strategic goals and direction courtesy of Karl Heinz-Paque (FNF chairman of the board), Annett Witte (FNF chief executive officer), and Charles du Vinage (FNF head of Asia desk).  Moreover, the delegation members also had discussions with: (1) Felix Heiduk of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), which advises the German government and parliament on questions of foreign and security policy; and (2) Markus Löning , managing director of Löning: Human Rights and Responsible Business, which helps companies understand and meet their responsibilities with respect to human rights.

“CALD’s participation to the LI Congress and Germany Executive Mission provided an opportunity for us to inform our counterparts in Europe and elsewhere about the most pressing political issues and concerns that we have in the Southeast and East Asian region”, says CALD Secretary General Abaya. “At the same time, our participation also allowed us to understand their perspectives and learn from their experiences. Without a doubt, our participation gave us valuable information and insights that we can use as we try to reconstruct the liberal order in our part of the world.”