A Resolution tiled “Parliamentary Roles in Supporting the Implementation of the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food Agriculture and Forestry” was adopted during the 45^th General Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), held from 18-23 October 2024 in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Co-sponsored by Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam, the resolution calls upon AIPA Member Parliaments to strengthen their roles in legislative initiatives, policy oversight, and stakeholder cooperation to align national laws with the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture, and Forestry (ASEAN RAI), ensuring transparency, accountability, and resilience. While recognizing the diverse circumstances of ASEAN Member States, the resolution supports the application of the ASEAN RAI Parliamentary Implementation Framework as a guiding tool, providing practical recommendations for parliamentary action to align national policies with the ASEAN RAI.

The framework outlines 23 targeted actions covering key parliamentary functions including assessment, budgeting and financing, parliamentary oversight, and stakeholder collaboration, to enhance their knowledge and role in advancing ASEAN RAI.

“FAO has partnered with over 60 parliamentary alliances worldwide, promoting political dialogue and providing capacity development,” explained Ms. Soulisa Savatdiphon, Assistant FAO Representative to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, who attended the meeting to reaffirm FAO's commitment to fostering regional cooperation and promoting responsible investment in the region. In a video message for the side event, Catalyzing Parliamentary Action through CFS Policy Products and the Global Parliamentary Network, during the 52nd Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS52), H.E. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, Secretary-General of AIPA, emphasized that this parliamentary framework marks a significant milestone in integrating principles of responsible investment into national policies.

To further assist ASEAN parliamentarians, FAO and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), in collaboration with AIPA, published the handbook Promoting the application of the ASEAN Guidelines for Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry in 2023.