PH eyes int'l community support for middle-income countries
The Philippines has called on the international community to further support middle-income countries (MICs) by bolstering development cooperation with these countries.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega shares the Philippine perspective on overcoming challenges of middle-income countries in advancing the 2030 Agenda at the ongoing High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) at the UN Headquarters. (Photo courtesy of DFA)
During the high-level political forum for sustainable development at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega called for increased efforts to advance innovation solutions that can unlock sustainable development goals (SDG) investments and ensure an inclusive and people-centered national digital transformation. De Vega stressed that the international community can best support MICs by bolstering development cooperation to be more purposive to the needs of developing countries, including middle-income countries; tailoring support in line with national priorities; and building on South-South and Triangular Cooperation. He noted that this was among the most pressing issues faced by middle-income countries are tight fiscal space and high external debt. He also highlighted some of the Philippine government’s initiatives, such as the Philippine Identification System Act which is considered an initial step towards digitalization and financial inclusion; the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitive Act of 2022 which provides for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach for upskilling, reskilling and training of Filipino workforce; and SDG Watch which is considered one of the robust SDG monitoring mechanism among countries in the Asia Pacific. At the sidelines of the forum, de Vega also served as a panelist at an event on “SDG9 in Middle-Income Countries: Accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda,” co-organized by UNIDO and the Like-minded Group of Countries supporters of Middle-Income Countries (LMG-MICs). He shared the Philippine strategies and priorities on industrialization, innovation, digitalization and resilient infrastructure, including the National Innovation and Strategy Document 2023-2028 and the 4th Industrial Revolution roadmap. He also highlighted again the role of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and of migrants and migration in capacity and resilience building. The Foreign Affairs official also reiterated the country’s support for discussions in reforming the development cooperation mechanism and the international financial architecture. The high-level political forum is held annually at the UN Headquarters and is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development. It has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega shares the Philippine perspective on overcoming challenges of middle-income countries in advancing the 2030 Agenda at the ongoing High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) at the UN Headquarters. (Photo courtesy of DFA)
During the high-level political forum for sustainable development at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega called for increased efforts to advance innovation solutions that can unlock sustainable development goals (SDG) investments and ensure an inclusive and people-centered national digital transformation. De Vega stressed that the international community can best support MICs by bolstering development cooperation to be more purposive to the needs of developing countries, including middle-income countries; tailoring support in line with national priorities; and building on South-South and Triangular Cooperation. He noted that this was among the most pressing issues faced by middle-income countries are tight fiscal space and high external debt. He also highlighted some of the Philippine government’s initiatives, such as the Philippine Identification System Act which is considered an initial step towards digitalization and financial inclusion; the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitive Act of 2022 which provides for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach for upskilling, reskilling and training of Filipino workforce; and SDG Watch which is considered one of the robust SDG monitoring mechanism among countries in the Asia Pacific. At the sidelines of the forum, de Vega also served as a panelist at an event on “SDG9 in Middle-Income Countries: Accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda,” co-organized by UNIDO and the Like-minded Group of Countries supporters of Middle-Income Countries (LMG-MICs). He shared the Philippine strategies and priorities on industrialization, innovation, digitalization and resilient infrastructure, including the National Innovation and Strategy Document 2023-2028 and the 4th Industrial Revolution roadmap. He also highlighted again the role of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and of migrants and migration in capacity and resilience building. The Foreign Affairs official also reiterated the country’s support for discussions in reforming the development cooperation mechanism and the international financial architecture. The high-level political forum is held annually at the UN Headquarters and is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development. It has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level.