The Philippines has pledged to become the voice for peace as it stands with the world now working for the future.
At the Summit of the Future in New York, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Monday, Sept. 23, welcomed the gathering of leaders in an aim to renew the world’s collective determination to defuse tensions and seek a peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts.
“As a founding Member of the UN and the first Asian Republic, the Philippines shall always be, a voice for peace, equity and justice, human rights and human dignity, the rule of law and constructive multilateralism,” Manalo said.
“The Philippines welcomes the compelling guidance that our Pact brings to the United Nations, and the uncompromising clarity that it sets forth to serve the good of the human race,” he added.
The Philippines acknowledged the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations, which it hailed “as a triumph of the persistence of multilateralism to affirm that a better world is possible, with the solidarity of nations.”
Manalo said the pact binds the world in words and in action, bridging the collective hopes of the past with our contemporary aspirations, with the UN Charter anchoring our will. “The Pact can guide the UN in delivering meaningful outcomes for peace and security, for human rights, for fairness and equality, for resilience from crises and disasters, and for empowering individuals and all communities in the world,” he said.
Manalo called for action for multilateralism to put peace at the center as the pact demands.
He said that conflict, disasters, hunger, and displacement are arduous pressures on the global humanitarian system and our climate resilience framework.
So the capacity of multilateral institutions to protect populations from terrorism, organized crime, health emergencies, sea level rise and other consequences of global warming, is challenged on many fronts, he said.
“Our Pact orients us to persevere for peoples whose hope lies in coordinated action that can only arise in the context of effective processes of the UN system,” he said.
“We must support and guide this system for more coherence, effectiveness, and impact. UN programs must enjoy the full ownership and consent of the host country,” he added.