Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor of delivering the Philippine Statement on behalf of Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo.

The Philippines aligns itself with the statements delivered by Indonesia, on behalf of ASEAN, and Morocco, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Today, we continue to demonstrate our collective commitment to keeping and sustaining peace as a goal and a process, and reinvigorate the Organization’s mandate for peace as the core principle of the UN system.

This meeting also underscores the urgency to push forward the implementation of UN reforms to strengthen UN peacekeeping operations as tools for global peace and security.

With a proud 60-year peacekeeping tradition in 21 UN Missions with over 14,000 Filipino peacekeepers, the Philippines is strongly committed, now more than ever, to implement the UN Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative and the A4P plus. 

We will continue to ensure that our pledges under the UN Peacekeeping Readiness System or PCRS are met.

Mr. Chair,

Allow me now to provide our recommendations on the eight (8) thematic elements under the A4P initiative and A4P+:

• On the Conduct of Peacekeepers and Peacekeeping Operations, the Philippines underscores its commitment and support to the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy and its victim-centered approach to all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). The SEA issue undermines the values and principles of the United Nations and erodes the trust of the people we have vowed to protect.

We reiterate the need to fully vet and train Member States’ troops before deployment and support the recommendation that National Investigation Officers (NIOs) are included in all military units deployed to a field mission.

• On Partnerships, we reiterate our support for intergovernmental platforms that enable peer learning among Member States on how to build resilience in peacekeeping, encourage constructive dialogues on the challenges in sustaining peace, and pursue strategic partnerships.

We encourage greater collaboration between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in peace operations, through the implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership between the ASEAN and the UN, in the areas of capacity building such as the Triangular Partnership Project,[1] among others.

• On Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, the Philippines welcomes the adoption by consensus last September of the draft resolution on Financing for peacebuilding which “Encourages all Member States and other partners to consider increasing their contributions to peacebuilding and sustaining peace activities in conflict-affected countries and regions, and stresses the importance of multi-year, flexible and risk-tolerant funding commitments, including pooled funding.”

In response to the Secretary-General’s call for a “quantum leap in support for the Fund” to strengthen the UN System’s ability to invest in peacebuilding, the Philippines contributed fifty thousand US dollars (US$50,000) towards the PBF for the year 2022.

• On Performance and Accountability, we believe that success in peacekeeping operations must be measured by the mandate to protect civilians as the "core criterion of success," with child protection and combating sexual abuse as key elements. Pre-deployment training (PDT) efforts should be tailored to respond to particular country-specific challenges.
• On Politics, the Philippines supports calls to invest more in local political solutions to conflicts, which UN peacekeeping must reinforce and not supplant. People in conflict situations must own the peace.
• On Protection, we encourage Troop-and Police-Contributing Countries or T/PCCs to prioritize the protection of civilians under imminent threat of danger by using all necessary means when required, in accordance with the UN Charter, mission mandates, and applicable international law.  Expectations regarding protection tasks must be succinct and clear, connected to political strategies in the field, and focused on prevention.

We also recognize the contributions of unarmed civilian protection in peacekeeping operations as part and parcel of local political solutions in creating a protective environment.

• On Safety and Security, the Philippines puts high priority in ensuring the safety of peacekeepers by way of strengthening information-sharing, policy coordination, and capacity building.

The Philippines, therefore, echoes a key proposal from the Member States submitted early this year during the C-34 negotiations for the Secretary-General “to establish a framework on Strategic Communications in peacekeeping” to combat anti-United Nations propaganda.

Communications campaigns that are context-specific and focused on each audience would address the misinformation and disinformation issues against the Mission leadership and also help ensure the safety and security of peacekeeping personnel.

• On Women, Peace and Security, we remain committed to increasing the participation of women in uniformed roles and support the call to integrate gender perspectives in all aspects of peacekeeping.
• The Philippines is also committed to increasing the deployment of women peacekeepers at all levels and in leadership positions as a key component in generating specialized, high-performing capabilities for UN peacekeeping.

Mr. Chair,

Peacekeeping issues must continue to be discussed in a broader forum, such as the C-34, in order to bridge the gap between those who decide on the mandates of peace operations and carry their financial burden and those who deploy the troops and police for the implementation of the mandates.

The Philippines stands ready to support the Secretary-General’s “New Agenda for Peace” under Our Common Agenda, the United Nations’ roadmap for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Thank you. END