Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo believes that "the success of the Philippines is the success of the United Nations (UN)."
In his remarks during the UN Day last week, Manalo believed that the country's contributions to the 193-member organization not only enabled it "to cope with seismic transitions" but also "to spark breakthroughs in cooperation that are needed in these extraordinary times."
During the event, DFA said, Manalo stressed the Philippines' "active role in shaping the UN since its establishment in 1945."
Apart from being a founding member of the organization, the Philippines also continues to champion priorities, such as climate change, gender equality, human rights, migration, and food security, the DFA added.
"As a pioneering member of this esteemed organization, the Philippines was not simply invited to join the club. We helped build it. The success of the Philippines is the success of the UN," Manalo said in his remarks before the gathering of various government agencies, members of the diplomatic community, and heads of international organizations
Noting the important role of the Philippines in the world's multilateral system in the coming years, Manalo called for stronger collaboration between the country and the UN Country Team.
That, he said, could be done through more frequent consultations between the country and the UN in the development of the new Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development (PFSD).
The PFSD is a nationally-led strategy co-created by the Philippines and the UN to ensure that the UN's programs and initiatives support the Philippines' national development goals. The document harmonizes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Philippine Development Plan, and AmBisyon 2040.
"Neither the Philippines nor the UN alone can singlehandedly confront today’s challenges," he said.
"Working together, complementing each other's strengths, and pursuing a sustainable future side by side remains the only way forward," he added.