Philippines, 2014

On behalf of

the Philippine Government, we offer our warmest

congratulations to Mr. Kutesa on his election as

President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth

session. I assure him of the Philippines’ steadfast

support as he provides the leadership and inspiration

in the daunting task of continuing the pursuit of a

transformative and inclusive post-2015 development

agenda. In choosing the theme for his presidency, he

has positioned people at the centre of this development

agenda. This people-centred agenda is also at the core

of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Social Contract

with the Filipino People, which is underpinned by a

regime of good governance.

I would like to address the following issues, which

are consistent with both the President’s Social Contract

and the United Nations post-2015 development agenda:

progress on the Millennium Development Goals; climate

change and disaster-risk reduction and management;

the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham; the

Ebola virus disease outbreak; peace, security and the

rule of law; disarmament, peacekeeping, migration,

the protection of women and children; and the call for

United Nations reforms.

Fourteen years ago, a shared vision of a decent and

secure life for all our peoples motivated us to adopt

the Millennium Development Goals. We all vowed to

undertake a mission to fight poverty and disease; grant

children of school age access to primary education;

improve gender equality, care for mothers and children;

provide our communities with safe drinking water;

protect our environment from further degradation;

and mobilize international partnerships and resources

to help those in great need. Today, based on the latest

report on the Millennium Development Goals, our

collective efforts have reduced by half the number of

people living in extreme poverty, provided over 2 billion

people with access to safe drinking water, and achieved

success in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis.

But, with one year to go, much remains to be done.

The Philippines’ scorecard shows that we have made

considerable progress in the areas of extreme poverty

eradication, under age 5 mortality, the fight against

both malaria and tuberculosis, access to safe drinking

water, and gender equality. Like many other developing

nations, however, we continue to face challenges in

other areas. We have recently taken pause to consider

new strategies. We have also realized the importance of

strengthening good-quality data collection and analysis

as a tool for measuring our Millennium Development

Goals and to aid our decision-making.

A year ago, before this very same Assembly, the

Philippines called for a post-2015 development agenda

anchored in respect and promotion of human rights,

accountable governance and inclusive development

(see A/68/PV.22). All our current national efforts are

founded on these pillars.

The greatest challenge to the Philippines in

meeting the Millennium Development Goals has been

the series of disasters that have visited our country.

Super-typhoon Haiyan, the strongest typhoon to have

hit landfall in recorded history, had a significant impact

on the modest progress we had achieved towards the

Millennium Development Goals. This and the disasters

in other parts of the world remind us of the urgent need

to address climate change.

Two months ago, we completed a comprehensive

rehabilitation and recovery plan for the Haiyan-affected

areas. The comprehensive plan requires a considerable

amount of resources and effort, but the Philippines

and its international partners are determined to see

this massive rebuilding and rehabilitation plan to full

completion. We are resolute in not only building back,

but building back better. Once again, let me reiterate

the Filipino people’s gratitude for the outpouring

of assistance from the international community for

the victims and survivors of Haiyan. Its response

and solidarity were indeed timely, overwhelming

and inspiring. At this time, we look forward to the

forthcoming Third World Conference on Disaster Risk

Reduction in Sendai, Japan, and to the first-ever World

Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, during

which we hope to share the lessons we have learned

from Haiyan.

Just as the international community mobilized

as one in extending help to the Philippines in the

aftermath of Haiyan, it should also do so in the case of

two present-day scourges: the so-called Islamic State

in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) and the Ebola virus disease

outbreak. The Philippines condemns the war crimes

and crimes against humanity being perpetrated by ISIS.

We support Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) on

foreign terrorist fighters, adopted on 24 September,

because we believe that resolute and immediate action

is necessary to suppress that group. As a responsible

member of the international community, the Philippines

will do its part in the global efforts to thwart ISIS and

its false ideologies.

On the Ebola virus disease outbreak, the Philippines

recognizes its threat to global health and its impact on

development. Based on our capacity, we will support

the international community’s efforts in arresting the

spread of this scourge through the auspices of the World

Health Organization.

Development efforts are jeopardized by setbacks

brought about by threats to peace, security and the rule

of law. We must ensure that conflicts do not undermine

any development agenda that we pursue. We must

rededicate ourselves to the principles enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations and relevant international

conventions and agreements to resolve all conflicts

peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.

In this spirit, I am pleased to share the Philippine

experience in building peace in the southern

Philippines. With the signing of the Comprehensive

Agreement on the Bangsamoro, we are optimistic

that peace dividends in the form of investments, jobs,

economic opportunities, access to basic services and

infrastructure will finally redound to the benefit of

our Muslim brothers and sisters. We are grateful to

the United Nations and the international community

for their role in supporting us through the long and

challenging journey of this peace process.

As we herald these achievements of peace at home,

however, we face the reality of exacerbating tensions in

our regional seas. Again, the Philippines has resorted

to the rule of law in trying to resolve these tensions.

The Philippines believes that the core instrument for

resolving maritime disputes is the 1982 United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We have

invited a State party to settle our maritime disputes

peacefully through UNCLOS, including its provisions

on dispute settlement, specifically arbitration under

annex VII to the Convention.

However, it has refused to join us and has continued

to unilaterally embark on an expansionist claim that

violates the legitimate rights of the Philippines and

other littoral neighbours under UNCLOS, such as their

exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

Instead of peacefully resolving the maritime disputes

within the framework of UNCLOS, the said State

has embarked on a series of dangerous, reckless and

forceful activities in an attempt to impose unilateral

change in the maritime status quo of the South China

Sea. Those unilateral activities escalated the tensions

and threatened peace and stability in the South China

Sea.

In 2012, after forcibly occupying the tiny rocks of

Scarborough Shoal, within 126 nautical miles of the

Philippine island of Luzon, the aforementioned State

refused to abide by a mutual agreement to de-escalate

tensions by not withdrawing its vessels from the said

rocks. Earlier this year, said State imposed a unilateral

moratorium on fishing in some areas of the South

China Sea that infringes on the legitimate sovereign

rights of the Philippines and other coastal States to

their exclusive economic zones. In the past two years,

it has undertaken massive land reclamation activities in

Johnson Reef, Mckennan Reef, Hughes Reef, Cuarteron

Reef and Gaven Reef in the Spratly Islands.

Those unilateral activities, among others, form part

of a pattern of forcing a change in the maritime status

quo in order to advance a so-called nine-dash line

position, an expansive claim of indisputable sovereignty

over nearly the entire South China Sea, which is in

contravention of both the 2002 China and Association

of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration on

the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the

UNCLOS. The Philippines supports the Secretary-

General’s call for States parties to clearly define and

publicize the limits of their respective maritime zones

so that parties will have greater certainty concerning

their maritime spaces.

UNCLOS provides a viable mechanism for

resolving conflicts, inter alia through arbitration.

Arbitration is an open, friendly and durable mechanism

for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.

Arbitration, in defining maritime entitlements, is

intended to benefit all. Therefore, the Philippines is

more determined than ever in its pursuit of all possible

means under international law to keep the conflict from

escalating and undermining regional peace, security,

and stability.

At the 47th meeting of the Ministers for Foreign

Affairs of ASEAN, in Nay Pyi Taw, the Philippines

proposed the triple action plan to reduce tensions.

Our triple action plan proposal contains immediate,

intermediate and final approaches to address the

provocative and destabilizing activities in the South

China Sea. It is a positive, comprehensive and

constructive framework that brings together various

initiatives that the Philippines and other countries have

been advocating on the issue of the South China Sea for

several years.

As an immediate approach, the triple action plan

calls for the cessation of specific activities that escalate

tensions in the region, pursuant to paragraph 5 of

the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct

of Parties in the South China Sea. Paragraph 5 calls

for, first, self-restraint; secondly, no inhabitation of

uninhabited features, including massive reclamation;

and thirdly, the handling of differences in a constructive

manner. For the intermediate approach to managing

tensions until a final resolution is achieved, the triple

action plan highlights the need for the full and effective

implementation of the Declaration and the expeditious

conclusion of a code of conduct. As a final approach, the

triple action plan underscores the need for a settlement

mechanism to bring the disputes to a final and enduring

resolution anchored in international law.

The Philippines is pursuing such a resolution

through arbitration and believes that the arbitration

decision will clarify maritime entitlements and will pave

the way for the full resolution of the maritime disputes

in the South China Sea. Those approaches under the

triple action plan can be pursued simultaneously, and

they do not prejudice territorial claims. We enjoin all to

be united in addressing the challenge of resolving this

issue in accordance with the rule of law.

On disarmament, the Philippines is deeply

concerned about the threat of weapons of mass

destruction, from the Middle East to the Korean

peninsula. The Philippines has remained firm in

its position on the total and complete elimination

of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The

Philippines strongly believes that the conference on

the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear

weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction

should be convened as soon as possible. The Six-Party

Talks on the Korean peninsula should restart. We need

a successful outcome to the 2015 Review Conference

of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons to ensure the credibility of the Treaty.

The Philippines strongly supports the ongoing

discourse on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear

weapons that has been gaining ground within and

outside the United Nations. We will continue to lend

our voice to calls for nuclear disarmament until we have

reached the goal of global zero. The Philippines also

deplores the use of landmines and improvised explosive

devices and the illicit trade in small arms and light

weapons, which, unfortunately, still continue around

the world.

United Nations peacekeeping missions are crucial

to international peace and security. The Philippines,

through its continuous participation in peacekeeping

missions, has shown its steadfast commitment to

contributing to that worthy cause. Let me take this

opportunity to thank our partners in the international

community for their invaluable assistance in recent

incidents involving our Philippine peacekeepers,

specifically in the United Nations Disengagement

Observer Force in the Golan Heights. Our collective

action has highlighted the importance that the

international community continues to accord to United

Nations peacekeeping.

In the face of grave danger, Filipino peacekeepers

have bravely helped to safeguard world peace. They have

served with honour, distinction and professionalism in

implementing peacekeeping mandates. We are deeply

concerned about the continuing and emerging dangers

faced by all United Nations peacekeepers, and urge the

United Nations and all fellow Member States to ensure

that those dangers are addressed comprehensively.

We believe that outstanding operational and tactical

issues relating to United Nations peacekeeping must be

resolved at the highest levels as soon as possible. The

Philippines reiterates its solid commitment to upholding

multilateral peacekeeping, collective security and the

rule of law.

When we speak of inclusive development, we must

take into full account the invaluable contributions

that migrant workers make to global development and

progress. Their well-being is a shared responsibility

and part of the international community’s commitment

to promoting inclusive societies. Those migrants are

especially vulnerable in times of conflict and should

not be forgotten. They deserve the complete support

and cooperation of the international community in

ensuring their safety, security and well-being. For such

an important task, all countries — whether receiving,

transit or sending — must be fully involved.

We are also alarmed that migrants, particularly

women and children, continue to be victims of

trafficking. National and international efforts to

prevent trafficking, prosecute traffickers and assist

in the recovery and rehabilitation of victims must be

strengthened. From a broader perspective, we should

fully respect the rights of migrants by according them

equal treatment in all countries. The Philippines will

continue to support efforts to protect the basic rights of

migrants, recognize their contributions to development

and secure for them a place in the inclusive societies

that we envision in the post-2015 development agenda.

As we discuss and negotiate the best ways to deliver

and implement the post-2015 development agenda, we

should take concrete action on the proposed United

Nations reforms that have been the subject of years of

discussions and dialogues. The Philippines supports

change and reform in the United Nations to strengthen

its ability to meet new demands and deliver its mandate

in the most effective, transparent, accountable and

efficient manner. Reforms should include a better

selection process for the Secretary-General, the

President of the General Assembly and executive heads

of the United Nations; an increase in the membership

of the Security Council; a review of the use of the veto

power in the Security Council; an increased budget

for peacekeeping missions; and ways to make full and

effective use of partnerships across the range of United

Nations activities. For example, if we were to elect a

woman to be the next Secretary-General of the United

Nations, that would be a powerful signal on gender

equality and empowerment.

As we set the stage to roll out a new set of goals

for the post-2015 development agenda, let us not lose

track of the equal importance of an enabling political

and social environment to support the goals. When

conflicts and insecurity endure, when disasters strike,

when pandemics break out, when terrorism spreads

and when the Earth’s bounties are confronted with

depletion, we face the real danger that our development

agenda will fail. It is our responsibility, therefore, as

States Members of the United Nations, to exert every

effort and expend every resource at our command to

make the United Nations the instrument for promoting

peace, progress and development.