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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider UN likely to take no action on 'baseless' ICSA claims before Human Rights Council — DFA

UN likely to take no action on 'baseless' ICSA claims before Human Rights Council — DFA

DFA says previous ICSA submissions to the UN 'have borne no fruit' as records show calls for accountability

Published May 21, 2026 09:09 am

At A Glance

  • DFA says the UN routinely circulates submitted statements without endorsing or acting on them
  • The Philippines expects no action from the HRC or OHCHR on the ICSA submission
  • DFA says UN records and member states' statements contradict the claims raised by the ICSA
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the United Nations is unlikely to act on a written statement submitted by the International Career Support Association and circulated by the Human Rights Council. (DFA photo)
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the United Nations is unlikely to act on a written statement submitted by the International Career Support Association and circulated by the Human Rights Council. (DFA photo)
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the United Nations (UN) is unlikely to take action on a written statement submitted by the International Career Support Association (ICSA) and circulated by the Human Rights Council (HRC), describing the group’s allegations as “baseless claims.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, May 21, the DFA clarified that the circulation of the document was part of the UN’s standard procedure and did not indicate endorsement or action by the organization.
“The United Nations routinely receives such statements and circulates these as a matter of procedure, without comments or any other actions,” the DFA said.
The DFA added that it expects neither the HRC nor the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to act on the submission.
“On the statement itself, we anticipate that no action will be taken on it by the Human Rights Council (HRC) or the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),” the DFA said.
According to the DFA, this was not the first time the ICSA had raised allegations before the UN, noting that the group’s previous efforts did not gain traction.
“This is not the first time the International Career Support Association (ICSA) has brought these baseless claims before the United Nations,” the DFA said. “None of its previous actions have borne any fruit,” it added.
The DFA also pushed back against the assertions made in the statement, saying official records from the UN and its member states contradict the claims raised by the ICSA.
“What the records will show is that the actions that have been taken by the HRC and the OHCHR, as well as the statements of a number of states in the HRC and elsewhere, were the direct opposite of the claims in the statement by the ICSA,” the DFA said.
The department added that UN records consistently reflect calls for accountability from the international body and its member states. “What the records show are the UN and its member states calling for accountability,” the DFA added. 

Related Tags

DFA United Nations Human Rights Council OHCHR International Career Support Association
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