The Philippines has called on the Human Rights Council (HRC) to observe fairness and respect for United Nations (UN) member states' sovereignty in its discourse of human rights issues and situations.

Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo in his address during the General Assembly's dialogue with HRC President Nazhat Shameem Khan on Oct. 29, stressed the country's "opposition to politically-motivated use of human rights."

Manalo emphasized that the HRC must observe the highest standards of balance, fairness and objectivity in its discourse, and must conduct its work in the spirit of inclusivity, and with full respect for the sovereignty and the national processes of Member States.

The Filipino diplomat noted that “country-specific resolutions that do not have the support of the State concerned stand little chance of making a meaningful difference on the ground, and are therefore a waste of resources.”

He then went on to express regret that program budget implications for country-specific resolutions go mostly to salaries and travels, and barely have provisions for actual projects that benefit concerned communities.

This prompted Manalo to urge for a review of the structure of the budget for technical cooperation to ensure that it is fit for generating concrete and positive change on the ground.

The Ambassador referred to the Philippines-UN Joint Program on Human Rights, which was signed on July 22, 2021 and described it as “a result of genuine cooperation and a model for constructive engagement on human rights between a Member State and the UN.”

He noted that the joint program is a cohesive and inclusive technical cooperation framework that brings together all the relevant stakeholders around projects on accountability and the rule of law.

He further noted the crucial and central role of the UN Resident Coordinator in bringing together various UN agencies in the country while highlighting that “the UN now has one voice, one strategy, one budget in the Philippines.”