The Federal National Council's Parliamentary Division will participate in the 10th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, APA, being held under the theme, "Sustaining Peace and Development in Asia," in Istanbul, Turkey, from 20th to 25th November, 2017.

It will also engage in the APA's second executive council meeting.

The UAE will present papers on sustaining peace as a tool to achieve sustainable development and on women in the UAE.

The MPs will hear the report of the chairman of the second executive council meeting and witness the handing over of the APA Presidency from Cambodia to Turkey, Hearings also include presentation of reports by the chairpersons of standing committees on social, cultural and political affairs, economic and sustainable development, and financial regulations.

The APA was born in 2006 to provide a forum to parliamentarians to exchange views, ideas and experiences for developing common strategies for the promotion of peace in Asia and the world; foster co-operation and co-ordination among parliamentarians in Asia for the promotion of peace and respect for human rights and humanitarian principles, and to provide a forum for parliamentarians and civil society organisations to promote peace.

The aims of the APA are to promote freedom, social justice, peace, security and friendship to meet the objectives of the Assembly; exploit co-operatively vast human and natural resources and secure the interests of all members; provide welfare facilities for the health and nutrition of its members' population, and contribute to integration among the Asian nations in order to utilise the potentialities of the region.