21 September 2015 - Veteran Filipino journalist Carmen Navarro Pedrosa was voted as co-chair in Seoul on September 17 of a forum comprising political reporters interested in covering an expanding grouping of Asian political parties founded in Manila in 2000.

Pedrosa was elected together with Hwang Jin-ha, Secretary General of the ruling Saenuri Party, just hours after landing in Seoul for the first meeting of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) Media Forum at the Plaza Hotel in central Seoul. The launch of the ICAPP Media Forum was attended by Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez.

In her opening remarks, Pedrosa expounded on the role of the new body, where she expected the member journalists to work together with political parties without disavowing their watchdog role, in helping bring about an Asian community, "What is true of Asia is that we don't know each other. We were all colonized at one time or another and that separated us."

Referring to the theme of the meeting, "Cooperation to build an Asian community," she said, "If there is anything that the theme says about knowing and building an Asian community, it is finally shedding all the colonial influences that wear on us in our history."

"Interdependence between politics and journalism is indispensable nourishment for political development as political democracy expands along with the increased roles and responsibilities of political parties," said Representative Hwang, adding he was confident the new forum “will promote mutual understanding and communication among ICAPP political parties, governments and peoples in Asia."

Representative Chung Eui-yong of the United Democratic Party (UDP), ICAPP Secretary General and co-chairman of the ICAPP Standing Committee, credited Pedrosa for first conceptualizing the idea of a media forum under the ICAPP when she submitted a formal proposal on behalf of the foreign journalists at an ICAPP Special conference held in Nanning, China in September 2011.

The ICAPP Standing Committee later adopted the recommendation unanimously and agreed to establish the ICAPP Media Forum to be composed of representatives of the leading political parties and journalists from the 23 countries which are represented in the ICAPP Standing Committee.

Kim Chang-gi, Editor of Chosun Ilbo, South Korea’s largest newspaper in circulation, and Chairman of the Board of Shinyoung Fund, also thanked Pedrosa for her role in the creation of the ICAPP Media. “Indeed, her proposal was appreciated and earned high praise by all the members at the 16th Meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee, held in Seoul in October, 2011,” he said.

The newly launched media forum aims to promote more interaction between ICAPP and peoples in the region through more diversified media coverage of the ICAPP activities. It is also intended to promote communication, interaction and cooperation between the international media and ICAPP in order to build an Asian community.

Representative Chung said the launching of the media forum marked another important landmark in the progress notched by ICAPP in 15 years.

“When the ICAPP was launched in Manila in Year 2000, few people expected it to be possible to bring together competing governing and opposition political parties in our region. However, the ICAPP has grown steadily in both membership and influence over the years,” Chung said, adding that ICAPP “has now become a major political force”.

Since it was launched in the first General Assembly in Manila in September 2000, ICAPP has tried to enhance mutual understanding and trust among Asian countries by promoting exchanges and cooperation between political parties with various ideologies throughout Asia, with more than 370 parties in 53 countries now eligible to participate in its activities. END