President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has called on the international community to uphold international laws to address security challenges in the region.
Marcos made the call in his intervention at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nation-United Nations (ASEAN-UN) Summit on Thursday, Sept. 7 in Jakarta, Indonesia, as he reiterated the Philippines' commitment to a rules-based international order.
“The Philippines reiterates its steadfast commitment to a rules-based international order. We call on the members of the international community to respect and uphold the principles of international law to address the challenges to peace, stability, and security,” he said.
“The Philippines reiterates its call on the international community to adhere to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and a rules-based international order,” the Chief Executive added.
As he spoke before UN Secretary General António Guterres, the President noted that the ASEAN has consistently upheld the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, a guidepost in dealing with common issues and concerns in the international community, for nearly five decades of ASEAN-UN relations.
He emphasized that peace and security are the cornerstone of ASEAN-UN cooperation.
Marcos also urged ASEAN member countries to utilize their “complementary roles” to continue to accelerate progress towards achieving not only the sustainable development goals (SDGs), but also other worthy endeavors in disaster relief management, peacekeeping operations, and other programs and projects.
He further emphasized that the Philippines believes that the ASEAN-UN partnership will deepen under “Our Common Agenda,” which is the UN’s new roadmap and social contract for global cooperation in the next 25 years.
“While ASEAN provides insights into regional dynamics and challenges, the UN has the global reach and expertise in various other fields. By continuing to work together, our organizations are able to leverage our strengths and expertise to achieve common goals,” Marcos said.
“ASEAN and the UN may explore cooperation in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which aims to contribute to the region and globally through attaining the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs,” he added.
Marcos believes the goal can only be achieved by continuing to align the regional development agenda with the SDGs and the UN’s enhanced engagement with relevant ASEAN institutions and centers of excellence such as the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.
During his intervention, he also thanked the UN for its assistance in building disaster and climate-resilient communities, and the ASEAN and its member states for supporting the Philippines in its candidature for membership of the Security Council for 2027 to 2028.
“The Philippines would be honored to serve once again in this important capacity as we advocate the core interest and priorities of the ASEAN and our peoples before the United Nations through the Security Council,” Marcos said.