Friday, September 28, 2018 - 15:00
The Philippine delegation, led by DFA Assistant Secretary Noralyn Jubaira-Baja of the United Nations and Other International Organizations (UNIO) shares the Philippine experience in promoting a “Culture of Peace” at the national, regional and multilateral levels during the Ministerial Meeting of the UN Alliance of Civilizations-Group of Fiends (UNAOC) at the 73rd UNGA in New York.
28 September 2018, New York City – The Philippines shared today its experience in promoting a “Culture of Peace” at the national, regional and multilateral levels during the UN Alliance of Civilizations-Group of Friends (UNAOC-GoF) Ministerial Meeting held on the margins of the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.
Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Noralyn Jubaira-Baja said that at the national level, “the Philippines enacted last 26 July 2018 the Bangsamoro Organic Law which outlines the new peace and development roadmap for our own Bangsamoro Peace Process. It is guided by the President Duterte’s directive to ensure the inclusivity and convergence of the two peace agreements with the MNLF and MILF into one Bangsamoro Peace Process.”
“At the regional level and in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 which complements the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ASEAN, under the Philippines’ chairmanship, adopted the Declaration on Culture of Prevention (CoP) for a Peaceful, Inclusive, Resilient, Healthy and Harmonious Society at the 31st ASEAN Summit in November 2017 in Manila,” Assistant Secretary Baja explained.
At the multilateral level, Assistant Secretary Baja said that Pakistan and the Philippines have co-sponsored a UN General Assembly resolution under the Culture of Peace agenda since 2004 which aims to (a) promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue to achieve peace and stability and as the most promising course for realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and (b) strengthen mechanisms and take appropriate action to promote constructive dialogue across cultural and religious divides.
The event provided UNAOC High Representative, H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the opportunity to brief Members of the Group of Friends at the Ministerial Level on current and future activities of the organization, focusing on “on-going project activities that use soft power approaches to enhance the development of a culture of peace through the use of inclusive and sustained dialogue involving the youth, civil society and faith-based organizations, addressing the root causes of conflicts as well as the promotion of tolerance.”
Mr. Al-Nasser said that “one of the greatest soft power tools in the Alliance’s toolkit is the UNAOC Global Forum which has proven to be the premier platform to advance the global conversation on building dialogue and understanding across cultures and religions.” The 8th UNAOC Global Forum will be held in New York City from 19 to 20 November 2018. This year’s theme is “Commit2Dialogue: Partnerships for Prevention and Sustaining Peace.”
Over 30 Member States delivered and submitted their respective national interventions reiterating support for the UNAOC’s culture of peace agenda.
Led by the Permanent Missions of Spain and Turkey, the UNAOC was established in 2005 and aims “to promote understanding between countries or identity groups, with a view toward preventing conflict and promoting social cohesion.” It is composed of 146 Member States and Observer Organizations. The Philippines joined the UNAOC-Group of Friends in 2005. END