Excellencies, colleagues, good afternoon,

The Philippines is cognizant that States have the primary responsibility for countering terrorist acts and that this includes building resilience of its own communities against radicalization to terrorism.

As such, our efforts to counter terrorism, anchored on our anti-terrorism law[1] and national security policy, and in line with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, are framed in the context of the Philippine Development Plan.

By providing equal opportunities to all Filipinos and creating a sustainability roadmap that will mainstream peace and development – we build resilient communities, our bulwark against the threats from terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism.

This understanding informs the Philippines’ National Action Plan on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), which also upholds the rule of law, international human rights and human rights law. 

The National Action Plan is further firmly anchored on the convergence of stakeholders that include, national and local governments, civil society and international organizations, the academe, the private sector, but more significantly, the local communities through localization frameworks that are inclusive, culture and gender-sensitive.

The youth play a critical role in this plan. Insights from the experiences of indigenous youth who were victims of exploitation by terrorist groups in the Philippines have informed our approach to counter-terrorism. Their unique perspectives underscore the need for targeted interventions that address their specific needs and circumstances. These insights have guided the development of educational programs, employment opportunities, and mental health services designed to support indigenous youth and other vulnerable groups.
By providing focused support to indigenous youth and other vulnerable populations, we aim to better prevent exploitation by terrorist organizations and contribute to building inclusive, sustainable peace. Our objectives include increasing community resilience, reducing rates of radicalization, and enhancing the overall quality of life for all citizens.

Building resilience is also part and parcel of the Philippines-United Nations Cooperation Framework, which provides a strategic direction for our cooperation with the UN, including with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. We highlighted the Framework at the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting held hosted by Nigeria last week, where we shared our experience and called for international cooperation.

We hope that our conversation today provides further impetus for international cooperation in support of building resilient, peaceful and productive communities.

Thank you.  END