| ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly | |
| Logo Pic: | History of AIPA Logo.jpg |
| House Type: | Intergovernmental organization |
| Preceded By: | ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization |
| Leader1 Type: | President |
| Leader1: | Puan Maharani[1] |
| Leader2: | Siti Rozaimeriyanty[2] |
| Leader2 Type: | Secretary General |
| Meeting Place: | Jakarta, Indonesia |
The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is a regional parliamentary body. It acts as a primary point for communication and information sharing between them. Its primary objectives are to provide information to Southeast Asian citizens about policies aimed at establishing an ASEAN community by 2025 and to foster mutual understanding and collaboration among these parliaments.[3]
The organisation's creation was initiated by Indonesia, with the support of other members of the ASEAN 5 founding members. The heads of the parliamentary delegations from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand who were attending the Third ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Conference in Manila, Philippines, originally created AIPO on 2 September 1977, which is grouped with, but formally associated with ASEAN.
It met for the first time in 1978 in Singapore. It is a weak, transnational parliamentary assembly that only has consultative powers, and lacks legislative and oversight powers over ASEAN and its members.[4] It has over 300 members from ASEAN members. Brunei (and previously Myanmar) which does not have a legislature, attend as Special Observers to AIPA.[5] Since 1979, it has held semi-regular bilateral meetings with the European Parliament.
Vietnam joined in 1995; the Laos joined in 1997; Cambodia joined in 1999; Brunei joined in 2009; and Myanmar joined in 2011. There was agreement to rename the organisation from AIPO to AIPA, a name that is more closely integrated institution during the 27th AIPO General Assembly, which took place in Cebu City, Philippines, in 2006. In 2007, it changed its name from the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) to ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
As of 2023, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Council has 23 Observer members. of which the European Parliament is a regional parliament; the other twenty-two Observers are national parliaments or lower chambers of governments.[6] Most recently, the Ukrainian parliament and the lower house of Pakistan were admitted during the 42nd AIPA General Assembly 2021 in Brunei. Followed by the Armenian national assembly which was granted Observer status at the 44th AIPA General Assembly in Jakarta in August 2023.[7]
August 2023 marked the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly's 44th General Session in Jakarta, which concluded with key document approvals and a handover of AIPA chairmanship. The session was joined by the Belarussian Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives.[8]