President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is not attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) High-Level Week from Sept. 18 to 26 in New York City, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Friday.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will lead the Philippine delegation to the 78th Session of the assembly and will deliver Mr. Marcos’ Philippine National Statement during the UNGA General Debate instead.
“Guided by the President’s national development and foreign policy agenda, I will articulate the Philippines’ advocacies for respect for the rule of law and ambitious climate action, as well as our achievements and aspirations as a middle-income economy with an important voice in global affairs,” Manalo said in a statement. Rey Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Apart from DFA officials, other officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led by Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga; Department of Health (DOH) officials led by Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa; and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) led by Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon; and the Department of Finance will be among the delegation.
The Philippine delegation would also include the Special Envoy of the President to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Monica Louise Prieto-Teodoro, and local executives from the League of Cities of the Philippines.
The High-Level Week’s theme is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.
The Philippines is organizing important side events which include a Ministerial Roundtable on Migration, Environment and Climate Change in the Asia Pacific Region on Sept. 21, a High-Level Event Promoting the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, co-hosted with Japan and Australia on Sept. 19, a side event on “Skilling, Upskilling, and Reskilling for a Resilient Workforce” on Sept. 17.
“I will also sign the new Agreement under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of The Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) or “High Seas Treaty” on September 20,” Manalo said.