The World Today:
Liberal International (LI) convening in Manila for its 57th Congress emphasizes the importance of its first Congress being held on the Asian continent. It congratulates the liberals of the entire Asian region for their continuous contribution towards implementing liberal democracies in their region, based on the free democratic will of the people, respect of human rights, rule of law and protection of individual rights and liberties in harmony with the region’s rich cultural and religious heritage. The 57th Congress underlines the immense role that free trade has in economic development and prosperity of the people, in particular in Asia. At the same time, its expresses concern that in many parts of the region trade has been subject to restrictions to benefit political elites and it did not go in parallel with respect of human rights and freedom of the citizens. Human Rights and Free Trade are key principles of Liberalism; they cannot be taken separately in developing a society in which the full potentials can be invested by every individual as their contribution to the progress for a society as a whole. Liberals around the world emphasize that both Human Rights and Free Trade are basic conditions for freedom in every part of the world.
Liberal International hopes that the recent developments in Northern Africa and the Middle East will result in the development of liberal democracies in which these conditions can be fulfilled.
