Address

by

Hon. Mr. Shin Sakurai, M.P.

Chairman,

Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development

(AFPPD)

His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, the President of the Philippines; Honorable Mr. Neptali A. Gonzales. President of Senatess; Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund; Distinguished Representatives; Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to thank you very much for attending the 12th Asian Parliamentarians' Meeting on Population and Development.

The Philippines has been attracting the world's attention for the rapid advancement it has achieved in the recent years. His Excellency Mr. Fidel V.Ramos is the elder brother of Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani who has been a friend and an active member of AFPPD, A11 of us at AFPPD take pride in the remarkable development that the Philippines is achieving under the outstanding leadership of His Excellency, and it is a great pleasure for us to have the opportunity to hold the 12th Asian Parliamentarians' Meeting on Population and Development in this energetic country with the honor of attendance by His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos.

I would like to express my cordial gratitude to those of you whose efforts have made this conference possible.

The Philippines is a neighbor of my country, Japan. Although some difference exists in average temperature, the two countries are both island countries surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and have close similarities in terms of natural environment and land area. They also have cultural kinship of eating rice as staple and fish as main dish.

Social advancement of women in the Philippines is a phenomenon that is known through-out the world. Co-chairpersons Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani and Representative Aquino Oreta of the Philippines Legislators' Committee on Population and Development, whose work as active members of AFPPD is widely known, have offered enormous co-operation during the preparation of this conference. Indeed, they are the symbol of the active role played by women in the Philippines.

In particular, Senator Shahani is actively engaged in AFPPD by assuming the heavy responsibility of the Chairperson of the AFPPD Women's Committee. She has also demonstrated strong leadership as rapporteur general at the International Conference of Parliamentarians on Population and Development which we called out to the world and held in Cairo, Egypt in September 1994 and resulted in adoption of the Cairo Declaration. Needless to say. she is also an expert on population and women's issues and has served as secretary general at the Third World Conference on Women which was held prior to Beijing .