AEPF9 – Reflections and lesson learning

February 8, 2013

The 9th Asia Europe People’s Forum (AEPF9) took place from 16 to 19 October 2012 in Vientiane, Laos. The AEPF9 tackled four major themes, or People’s Visions, which represent AEPF’s hopes for citizens of the ASEM member countries and the communities they live in. These were:

  • Universal Social Protection and Access to Essential Services;
  • Food Sovereignty and Sustainable Land and Natural Resource Management;
  • Sustainable Energy Production and Use; and
  • Just Work and Sustainable Livelihoods.

Preceding the 9th Asia-Europe People’s Forum, three preparatory workshops in South and South-East Asia on the four themes were held. In Laos, 17 provincial level consultations were held, which contributed to the development of a Lao People’s Vision Statement. These brought together the reflections, aspirations and visions of the Lao people from a wide range of citizen groups, civil society and mass organizations across Lao society; a first in both AEPF and Lao PDR history. They are an important contribution to future dialogues for more equitable development and seen as part of Laos’ commitment to strengthening partnerships for development and increasing people’s participation.

For each Forum the AEPF International Organising Committee (IOC) works in partnership with a National Organising Committee (NOC) from the host country. The IOC and NOC co-organize the Forum, taking shared responsibility. In Laos, as a result of cooperation and development framework policies in the Lao PDR and its role in also overseeing the organization of pre-post AEPF events also hosted in Laos (e.g. ASEP; Business Forum and ASEM) the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) was the assigned government agency charged with facilitating the co-organizing process in close partnership with, Non Profit Associations (NPAs), International Non-Governmental Organizations (iNGOs) and the Mass Organizations (MOs). The NOC created six sub-committees in which representatives of the four partners (NPAs, MOs, iNGOs and IFA) worked in partnership on all aspects of the Forum. The cooperation and transparency between the IOC and all NOC partners was positive in the preparations for and during AEPF9.

At the Asia-Europe People’s Forum 9, there was a focus on developing clear strategies and practical recommendations to elected state representatives and to ourselves as active citizens.

Following the AEPF9, organizers and participants when questioned characterized the AEPF9 as a success albeit with some concerns about whether some participants from Laos were able to participate as fully as wished. With 948 participants from 47 countries: 24 in Europe and 23 in Asia, including Laos – the hosting country, this event was without a doubt the largest civil society event ever organized in the Lao PDR.

The AEPF International Organising Committee has a taking stock process which looks at the legacy of each Forum, reflects on its achievements, successes, strengths and areas which could have been improved. It integrates this reflection and learning into its future plans and actions. We have been undertaking this process as part of our feedback to supporters and donors. This has fed into our reports on AEPF9. These reports were completed by mid-December.

AEPF9 – core activities and results

AEPF9 was a catalyst for more contacts and links between Asia and Europe based networks and organisations and has increased collaboration and joint activities. People have been able to see that they are not alone in their struggles and the type of challenges that they are facing.

AEPF9 consolidated campaign and advocacy networks that were able to evaluate, plan and renew their strategies on areas including:-

  • Just trade and campaigns against Asian Free Trade Agreements with the EU
  • Campaign for Universal/ Transformative Social Protection and Access to Essential Services
  • Campaign on Climate Justice and Food Sovereignty
  • Water Justice Network
  • Campaign for the Dismantling of Corporate Power
  • Migrant Networks in Asia and Europe
  • Peace and Security

The AEPF9 also enabled the establishment of new advocacy networks including an Asia-Europe anti-nuclear power network and the Asian and European Network on Debt.

The AEPF9

  • strengthened and consolidated cross regional networks of civil society organisations and social movements from Europe and Asia, with enhanced capacity to engage more effectively in Europe – Asia relations and within European institutions.
  • was a well-attended, dynamic, popular and influential and contributed to and influenced the ASEM process.
  • agreed a Final Declaration containing key alternative policy options on sustainable energy use and production, trade and investment, just work and social protection, food sovereignty and environmental justice was developed in a participatory way and adopted by participants. It was shared with ASEM9 delegates and with some national government bodies after the Summit.
  • enabled closer working relations between the AEPF and Trade Unions and, through this, a direct link with ASEM Labour Ministers Meeting
  • generated great interest with being part of the AEPF expressed in the significant number of registered workshops
  • strengthened and consolidated cross regional networks of civil society organisations and social movements from Europe and Asia, with enhanced capacity to engage more effectively in Europe – Asia relations and within European institutions.
  • enabled the involvement of a wide range of Lao civil society organisations and citizens in AEPF9.
  • enabled the first inclusion of Lao NPAs in the AEPF and wider inclusion of Burmese and Cambodian NGOs.
  • strengthened participation of European CSO actors from the new European social movements in the AEPF
  • was a catalyst for a strong dynamic process in various countries during the run up to the AEPF through the regional preparatory meetings in South and South-East Asia

Developments in Laos since the AEPF reflection – concerns and responses

The primary focus of each AEPF is to strengthen and consolidate cross regional networks of civil society organisations and social movements from Europe and Asia. However each Forum is also an opportunity for the host country and for civil society organisations and social movements in that country. There were specific commitments for AEPF9 that related to organisations in Laos which formed part of the agreed plans for AEPF9. These included:-

  • to provide a platform for Lao CSOs to engage on Asia-Europe relations and ASEM and to build relations with CSOs, especially Asian.
  • to enable a range of Lao and Laos based organisations to be able to participate in and contribute to the range of discussions, workshops and forums that will take place during the AEPF9
  • provide Lao civil society with opportunities to form tangible links with Asian civil society and parliamentarians.
  • joint collaboration and relationship building between CSOs – through working together, to develop common proposals and …to develop common platforms for future collaboration

Overall the AEPF9 was hoped to contribute to future dialogues for more equitable development and was seen as part of Laos’ commitment to strengthening partnerships for development and increasing people’s participation in them.

The 17 provincial level consultations which contributed to the development of a Lao People’s Vision Statement brought together Lao civil society organisations, mass organisations and provincial government representatives and provided a platform for stronger partnerships for development after AEPF9. There was also a broad involvement of members of a range of Lao organisations in the Forum itself. These achievements both contributed to our statement that AEPF9 had been a success, in this case from the perspective of Lao organisations and civil society.

This assessment was tempered by some concerns that in a number of workshops and events there had been excessive participation by representatives of the Lao Government which had limited the dialogue and restricted the space for some Lao participants to contribute to the workshops. This was linked to partial translation of presentations and discussions into Lao in some workshops. There was also concern about the harassment of some participants. There were also concerns that the final version of the excellent Lao People’s Vision was never finally agreed though fully supported and approved by Lao civil society organisations. Its distribution was also restricted by representatives of the Lao government during the AEPF9 itself. These concerns were shared in the joint evaluation meeting of the Lao and IOC organisers on the day after the conclusion of the Forum.

Post-AEPF9

Since the completion of our assessment at the beginning of December we have become aware of changes in Laos. These have directly related to people in Laos who had been co-organisers of AEPF9 and involved in the Lao National Organising Committee. These include:-

  • The ‘disappearance’ of Sombath Somphone on December 15th 2012. Sombath Somphone was the co-chair of the AEPF9 Lao National Organising Committee, a key note speaker during the Opening Day, one of the co-ordinators of the Lao People’s Vision and the Provincial Consultations. He also enabled the highly acclaimed ‘Happy Laos’ film which was shown at the closing of the AEPF9. Sombath is a highly respected member of Lao civil society– well known for his work promoting education and sustainable development. He was taken away in a truck by unknown persons after being stopped by police in the Lao capital, Vientiane on 15 December 2012. Nobody has seen or heard from him since.
  • The expulsion from Laos with 48 hours’ notice of Anne-Sophie Grindroz, the Country Director of Helvetas. Anne-Sophie Grindroz was an active member of the Lao National Organising Committee for the AEPF9 and her organisation was a Lao co-organiser of a number of workshops held during the Forum. She had also been involved in the Land Issues Working Group amongst many other sustainable development related activities.
  • An increasing perception that the ‘spaces’ for dialogue, discussion and debate on how to achieve more sustainable economic and social development in Laos are becoming constricted. The climate of positive and constructive dialogue that was a part of AEPF9 is felt to have dissipated.
  • There have also been an increasing number of reports of harassment at the local level of participants in the AEPF9 who have been taking forward initiatives to promote sustainable development. This is of great concern to us.

As a result, due to these Post-AEPF9 events in Laos, the IOC of the AEPF is compelled to state that the legacy of the AEPF9 in Laos is in great jeopardy. The lived reality for many people in Laos today is in sharp contrast to the rhetoric of the Vientiane Declaration on Strengthening Partnership for Peace and Development agreed at the end of ASEM9.

There does not appear to be a secure environment that encourages learning and reflection, or one that provides space for open, respectful, diverse and constructive debate.

This is of great concern to us and we sincerely urge that positive measures and actions are taken to ensure that the agreed and stated commitment of AEPF9, as widely shown on posters all around the AEPF9 venues,

“to enable a secure environment that encourages learning and reflection and provides space for open, respectful, diverse and constructive debate. We support harmony, compassion and understanding, whilst recognizing the strength of diversity and solidarity for peaceful and sustainable development.”

becomes a lived reality for people committed to People’s Solidarity against Poverty and for Sustainable Development in Laos.

The IOC of the AEPF calls on the Government of Laos to sincerely and accountably take forward their commitments to enable space for open, respectful, diverse and constructive debate including for organisations and individuals who participated in the AEPF9 and preparatory consultations. Until this happens the claims of the success of the AEPF9 with respect to civil society and progress towards sustainable development in Laos will not be possible and would be inappropriate.