Legislators from 24 Asia-Pacific countries including the United States agreed today no unilateral action should be taken against Iraq without the sanction of the United Nations.

The agreement came in the form of a resolution proposed by Canada and accepted on the final day of a three-day conference of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).

The 101 delegates resolved to "urge all member states to take no unilateral action against Iraq unless covered by United Nations Resolution or the Charter itself."

At the same time the resolution urges Iraq to comply fully with demands for it to eliminate weapons of mass destruction from its arsenal, and to cooperate with UN inspectors.

Cooperation against terrorism

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, president of the APPF, told a news conference: "I hope the issue of Iraq can be solved through international coordination, under a United Nations framework and peaceful dialogue."

The resolution on Iraq was one of 14 adopted by the APPF, established in 1993 to contribute to the region's peace, stability and prosperity by providing a forum for dialogue among parliamentarians.

The resolutions included calls for a halt to North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and cooperation against terrorism and people smuggling.

The next APPF annual meeting will be held in China in January 2004.

Member countries are Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile, China, Colombia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. AFP