Amman, Dec. 23 (Petra) - A delegation from the Senate, headed by Senator Ghazi Thneibat and including Senator Saad Manaseer, participated in the meetings of the Standing Committee on Budget and Planning of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), held in the Qatari capital of Doha.

According to a statement from the Senate, Senator Thneibat delivered a speech during the meetings, which began on Tuesday and continue through Wednesday, thanking the State of Qatar and the Assembly’s General Secretariat. He affirmed support for the Assembly’s position on exempting Palestine from annual membership contributions until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

He said that Asian parliamentary cooperation has become a firm pillar that cannot be dispensed with in confronting rapidly evolving challenges facing many countries, particularly those related to human rights, security and peace, climate and the environment, and sustainable development.

Thneibat noted that the Asian Parliamentary Assembly has succeeded in establishing itself as a "knowledge platform" with a forward-looking role and the capacity to provide guidance and direction to Asian parliaments in a way that contributes to strengthening their parliamentary paths.

He stressed that approving a clear and disciplined budget for the Asian Parliamentary Assembly is not merely an administrative obligation but a fundamental pillar for enhancing its institutional efficiency and supporting its organizational capacity, enabling it to implement its programs and initiatives with high efficiency.

He called for the adoption of the proposals included in the draft financial budget of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly for 2026, particularly those aimed at strengthening financial sustainability through two main pillars: first, the commitment of member states to pay the annual financial contributions stipulated in the Assembly’s budget; and second, encouraging voluntary contributions by motivating parliaments to provide additional financial support that would enhance the Assembly’s activities and expand its impact.

He urged reliance on a "program and performance budgeting" model as a modern and transparent framework that allows for the evaluation of programs, projects and expenditures based on the objectives, policies and plans approved by the Standing Committee.

Thneibat reaffirmed full support for the historic decision of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly to exempt the Parliament of the State of Palestine from the required contribution as a deserved act of solidarity until the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

He underscored the importance of adopting a clear and transparent budget based on efficiency and good governance, describing it as the solid foundation that will enable the Asian Parliamentary Assembly to implement its programs and initiatives effectively and strengthen its ability to uphold justice and support the just causes of the region’s peoples.

//Petra// AF