Sotto to chair Asia-Pacific group in IPU next year

FILE: Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III delivers his sponsorship speech on Senate Resolution No. 135, expressing the upper chamber’s profound sympathy and sincere condolence on the death of former Sen. Rene G. Espina who passed away last Friday, Sept. 13. The rest of the senators stood as co-sponsors and co-authors of the resolution. (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III will chair the Asia-Pacific Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Switzerland and Rwanda next year.

According to a statement on Friday, Sotto will replace Pakistani lawmaker Asad Qaiser as chairman of the 36-member Asia-Pacific Group.

For the current year, Sotto headed the Philippine delegation in the just-concluded 141st IPU Assembly held in Belgrade, Serbia from October 13 to 17.

The six geopolitical groups in the IPU discuss issues of common concern to be taken up at the Assembly and try to reach a consensus and a common position.

Other groups are the African (52 member-states), Arab (21 member-states), Eurasia (9 member-states), Latin America and the Carribean (24 member-states) and the so-called “Twelve Plus” (41 member-states).
For next year, the 142nd Assembly will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from April 16 to 20, 2020 while the 143rd Assembly, in Kigali, Rwanda from October 11 to 15, 2020.