Remarks of
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo
Virtual Briefing for the Diplomatic Corps on the Progress of the Government’s Commitments
under the UN Joint Program on Human Rights (UNJP)
17 August 2022, 3:30-5:00 pm (Manila time)
Excellencies, friends of the Diplomatic Corps, distinguished colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome you to this afternoon’s briefing.
This activity is in line with the Government’s long-standing tradition of constructive dialogue and cooperation with the international community on human rights. This tradition of engagement is intrinsic to our value system as a Filipino nation, and has guided our pursuits in the regional and multilateral arena.
This dialogue and cooperation is evident also in ASEAN, where the Philippines continues to strengthen human rights promotion and protection in the work of the Community pillars and build bridges of trust and cooperation between our region and the UN human rights mechanisms and experts.
In the larger international community, the Philippines, a founding member of the UN, played a key constructive role in the trailblazing decades of norms-build up that led to the establishment of the Human Rights Council in 2006. In my role back then as Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, I had the privilege of chairing the negotiations on the Institution Building rules of procedure of the HRC. Sixteen years hence and five Council membership terms in between, the country’s track record speaks for itself in terms of contributing to advancing the cause of human rights.
Excellencies and Distinguished Colleagues,
Our recent general elections in May attest to the Filipino people’s commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy. The elections posted the highest voter turnout in recent history at 83%; was conducted in a free, fair, orderly, and inclusive manner; and facilitated the unimpeded access of international observers to the whole process.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signalled that he will continue to pursue a progressive human rights agenda. In his State of the Nation Address, the President outlined a forward-looking and people-centered national program for inclusive growth and sustainable development. This national program builds on the Philippines’ deeply-rooted and progressive human rights agenda, sustained over decades by successive political administrations.
This progressive human rights agenda frames the government’s positive and constructive multilateral and bilateral engagements and drives our active participation in human rights review processes, including on our compliance to human rights treaties. Two revalidas by the Philippines are taking place in the next two months, namely on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the on the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Preparations are also in full swing for our 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review in November. We also look forward to receiving the UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children in November this year and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression in 2023.
Excellencies and Distinguished Colleagues,
The Philippines’ tradition of constructive engagement marked a new milestone with the signing of the the UN Joint Program on Human Rights, or the UNJP, in July last year.
Since its launch, the UNJP has garnered broad support from government agencies, the Commission on Human Rights, the UN, the international community and stakeholders. We acknowledge with appreciation the goodwill of our funding partners. The Philippines itself has already allocated USD 200,000 to help fund the UNJP for fiscal year 2022, and plans to do so again in the succeeding years.
The UNJP breaks new ground as an innovative tool of multilateralism, providing a better option to the current fragmented UN approaches to human rights cooperation and politicized measures that rend trust and good faith.
It is holistic and synergistic as it is practical, as it bridges the human rights, development, and peace pillars of the UN. It pursues an inclusive multi-stakeholder approach, and demonstrates that with political will, new strategies can work to more meaningfully advance the UN development system.
In its essence, the UNJP embodies the vision of the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human rights of a forward-looking and collaborative human rights agenda that pursues transformative solutions on the ground.
The Philippines has full faith in these efforts to restore confidence in the UN as a locus for positive transformation, and is invested in the success of the UNJP in sincere cooperation with partners in the UN system, states and other stakeholders.
The ultimate strength of the UNJP is that the commitments undertaken by the Philippines are not extraneous to but in fact are core to the functions of the government and to its programming. Thus, it has the highest degree of national ownership that is fundamental to its effectiveness and success.
In the span of a year, the UNJP has made significant headway in fostering collaborative partnerships in a broad spectrum of its target areas. These will be touched upon by our distinguished speakers.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Philippines’ historic high of voluntary contributions to the OHCHR in 2021 and 2022, in response to the call of the High Commissioner, recognizes that to transform multilateralism, we must collectively invest in institutional programmes and initiatives that underline the positive, the constructive, the transformative.
The landscape for pursuing effective multilateral action on human rights has become more exigent and demanding, with the more recent complexities of a pandemic, conflicts, and climate change bearing on our best intentions. Yet, you can rest assured that the Philippines will remain steadfast in its support for UN human rights institutions as this is driven by its aspiration to promote human rights and human dignity for all our peoples.
We count on your support in building on the momentum of the UNJP in expanding pathways for collaborative actions and transformative solutions.
Thank you.