Philippines, 2013

On behalf of

the Philippine Government, I proffer my warmest

congratulations to the President on his election. I wish

him success and assure him of my country’s steadfast

support for his presidency.

The theme that has been selected for this session

is indeed timely and relevant. We must start setting

the stage for the new development agenda that will

succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

framework. Barely two years before its deadline,

considerable work still lies ahead of us. For instance, the

global economic and financial crisis has underscored

the need for reform towards greater systemic

coherence; the multilateral trading system remains

frozen in the past; and the persistence of an outdated

development paradigm results in policy prescriptions

and conditionalities inimical to the interests of many

developing countries.

As we set the stage for the post-2015 framework, let

us reaffirm the very raison d’être of the United Nations,

which is to accord every person the opportunity at a life

that is secure, progressive and dignified. That purpose

is enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and is central

to President Benigno Aquino III’s social contract

with the Filipino people. Under President Aquino’s

leadership, my country has embarked on a journey

along a straight path — or, as we say in Filipino, “daang

matuwid” — resolving to work towards inclusive

growth, combating corruption, promoting transparency

and accountability, improving global competitiveness,

making better use of resources, achieving just and

lasting peace, and upholding the rule of law.

The Aquino Administration firmly maintains that

good governance is good economics. As a result, the

Philippines is reaping the first fruits of its hard work.

In the past four quarters, the Philippine economy has

experienced unprecedented growth of over 7 per cent.

As a result, the Philippines won three investment-grade

ratings and is now considered a growth engine in the

region.

These glowing reports are, of course, well received

by my Government, but we are under no illusion that

these indicators alone constitute success. For the past

13 years, the MDGs have been integrated into the

Philippine development plan for 2011-2016. Yet our

work continues and the challenge we now face is clear.

It is how to ensure that growth is inclusive, resilient and

sustainable. As we pursue the path towards this very type

of growth, my Government is guided by the following

important lessons learned from our experience in

working towards the Millennium Development Goals.

First, strong institutional arrangements are

necessary. For the Philippines, that means that the

highest political support is given to the attainment of

the MDGs, involving all branches of Government and

other key stakeholders.

Secondly, specific policies, programmes and

projects must be aligned with national development

goals. In our MDG experience, innovative social

protection programmes include conditional cash

transfers, universal health care, the comprehensive

and integrated delivery of social services, a K-12 basic

education programme, and a community mortgage

programme.

Thirdly, the active participation of various

stakeholders — namely, the private sector, civil society,

non-governmental organizations, the constituents and

international development partners — must be strongly

promoted and supported. This ensures that policies and

programmes are responsive and inclusive.

Fourthly, local Government units should be

empowered. Beyond the delivery of basic social

services, the capacities of local Government units in

formulating and implementing policies and programmes

must be strengthened and guided by the principles of

transparency and accountability.

Fifthly, the capability to generate accurate, timely

and relevant data at the national and local levels must

be enhanced.

Sixthly, disaster risk reduction must be

mainstreamed to enable communities to better cushion

the impact of man-made and natural disasters. Building

the capacities of national and local stakeholders to help

reduce the vulnerability and increase the physical and

economic resilience of communities must be a key

development goal.

These important elements will further enrich the

United Nations Development Assistance Framework

2012-2018 for the Philippines. With the overall theme

“Supporting inclusive, sustainable and resilient

development”, the United Nations Development

Assistance Framework seeks to fully align United

Nations work with the Philippine Development Plan

2011-2016.

My Government is actively participating in the

international discourse on sustainable development

and in crafting the post-2015 development agenda. The

Philippines was one of 66 countries chosen by the United

Nations to conduct open, inclusive and transparent

consultations with a broad range of stakeholders

aimed at generating perspectives on how the post-2015

development agenda framework should look. We took

to this task earnestly by undertaking consultations

with more than 500 stakeholders representing the

Government, civil society, the business community and

academia.

Our national consultations on the post-2015

development agenda have identified the following

building blocks of the new framework, as well as

the development themes deemed most relevant to the

Philippines. These building blocks are composed of

four principles, five themes and various development

enablers, and were offered to the United Nations

system as the Philippines’ contribution to the ongoing

discourse.

We need look no further than the United Nations

Charter to identify the building blocks for the global

post-2015 development agenda. For this agenda to be

relevant and responsive, it must be anchored in four

main principles: human rights; equality, equity, people

empowerment, social cohesion and justice; accountable

governance; and inclusive development.

My country has identified five pillars that we believe

will address our own specific development challenges.

These pillars represent the areas where progress is most

needed to build a rights-based, equitable and sustainable

society. These pillars are poverty reduction and social

inclusion; environmental sustainability, climate change

and disaster risk management; accountable, responsive

and participatory governance; a fair and stable order

based on the international rule of law; and peace and

security.

My Government will formulate and implement

policies that will be defined by these pillars. These

policies will duly be integrated into my country’s

national development agenda, and progress will be

monitored at regular intervals. On the global front, the

Philippines proposes that the duration of the post-2015

development agenda should be 10 years, with a major

review to be undertaken by 2020. Reforms should be

front-loaded within the first half of the period to pave

the way for substantive accomplishments by 2020.

Allow me to further elaborate on aspects of the

principles and themes the Philippines has put forward.

The Philippines continues to aspire to a global

economic system that places development at the centre

and promotes democracy in international economic

decision-making. Ultimately, it behoves us to consider

reform of the overall global economic system as we

craft a sound, sustainable development agenda.

To achieve meaningful reform, what we need now

is a strong political impetus from all of us to make

this happen. Governments must see beyond political

differences and agree to work together to ensure a

level global playing field. It is for this reason that the

Philippines staunchly supports the High-level Political

Forum on sustainable development goals.

The post-2015 development agenda should squarely

address migration. It is a cross-cutting issue relevant

to our efforts to promote human rights, reduce poverty

and foster sustainable development. The Philippines,

for its part, will continue to advocate the protection of

the rights of migrants, regardless of migration status;

the recognition of migrants’ positive contribution to

development in the sending and receiving countries

alike; and the creation of programmes that support

families, especially the children who are left behind.

Our national experience of these issues will be

my Government’s contribution to the discussion in

the forthcoming High-level Dialogue on International

Migration and Development later this week. In

addition, we hope to include in the discussion the plight

of migrants who find themselves in conflict areas — a

situation that my Government has had to address in

recent years. In several instances, we have repatriated

Filipino workers to get them out of harm’s way.

Our experience has been instructive and enriching,

as it has opened for us new windows of cooperation

with our bilateral partners, as well as with the United

Nations, the International Organization for Migration

and other international organizations. My Government

wants to focus international discussion on the plight of

these migrants, with a view to forging creative platforms

on which States — whether countries of origin, transit

or destination — can cooperate to better address this

complex issue.

The Philippines hopes that the High-level Dialogue

will reaffirm that migration is an indispensable

element in the global sustainable development agenda.

Migration influences each country’s socioeconomic

growth, human capital and involvement in global

affairs. Managing migration through policies that

uphold the dignity of the individual should therefore be

a vital component in the development agenda of each

nation and of the world.

Achieving sustainable development requires

an enabling environment of peace, security and the

rule of law. It is to this end that my Government’s

approach in managing conflicts within and outside

its borders is anchored in international law. As such,

we avail ourselves of the various means for the

peaceful settlement of disputes, including mediation

and arbitration, in accordance with Chapter VI of the

United Nations Charter.

As declared by the General Assembly in its

resolution 37/10, on the peaceful settlement of

international disputes, otherwise known as the 1982

Manila Declaration, recourse to the judicial settlement

of legal disputes should not be considered an unfriendly

act between States. On the contrary, it is a measure that

generates clarity, benefiting all stakeholders. In this

spirit, my country reaffirms its unwavering support

for the International Court of Justice and the various

specialized tribunals, such as the dispute settlement

mechanisms of the World Trade Organization and the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Philippines has also relentlessly and tirelessly

pursued the peace process in the southern Philippines.

The signing of the Framework Agreement on the

Bangsamoro was a milestone in this regard. We remain

steadfastly committed to achieving just and lasting

peace that will be inclusive for all.

Furthermore, in accordance with the application of

the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes,

the Philippines, as a State party to the Chemical

Weapons Convention and a staunch advocate of

disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of

mass destruction, also welcomes Syria’s accession to

the Treaty. The Philippines hopes that the Organization

for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will

effectively assist the Syrian Government in disposing

of its chemical weapons stockpiles.

The Philippine Government’s commitment to

peace is resolute. This commitment is demonstrated

in its continued participation in United Nations

peacekeeping missions, particularly in the United

Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in

the occupied Golan where, despite the dangers, our

peacekeepers have stood their ground. Their courage to

stay and hold the line at the most critical time led to the

continued fulfilment of UNDOF’s mandate as charged

by the Security Council.

The post-2015 development agenda also demands

that Governments address the devastating effects of

climate change and natural disasters. My country

is among those at highest risk from typhoons,

earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. In terms

of disaster management, my Government has instituted

a cluster model that mobilizes both Government and

non-governmental entities at the local and national

levels, as well as international partners. The United

Nations has recognized this model as a best practice

that other countries could emulate. We will continue

to share our knowledge and experience in disaster-

risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery to

help other States better manage similar occurrences.

In 2015, we will also actively participate in the World

Humanitarian Summit and in the review of the Hyogo

Framework for Action, our blueprint for disaster risk

reduction cooperation.

The year 2015 marks an important juncture in the

history of nations. It will mark the beginning of a new

era of sustainable development, one, it is hoped, that

gives every individual on this planet a better chance

at a better quality of life. That may sound ambitious;

it may even sound daunting. Yet, this is an historic

time and historic times call for acts of great ambition.

Our national hero, Mr. José Rizal, also recognized the

importance of ambition and ideals. He wrote that

“it is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great

ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without

becoming a part of any edifice”.

Let the post-2015 development agenda be the edifice

upon which we will manifest the collective dreams and

ideals of humankind.