Thank you, Mister Chair. The Philippines aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
We thank the Secretary General for the three (3) reports under this Agenda Item.
The 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes – which will have its 40th anniversary in 2022 - is one of the landmark outcomes of the Special Committee. It is the first comprehensive plan and consolidation of the legal framework for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, building upon and promoting general international law, the UN Charter, and other key instruments such as Resolution 2625 of 1970 or the Friendly Relations Declaration. We are pleased that delegations and the Secretary General’s report recall the significance of the Manila Declaration.
In addition, the Special Committee has supported, since its establishment in 1975, efforts to make the UN more efficient in its work of fostering peace and security in the world.
As such, the work of the Special Committee is of much importance for the Philippines.
We reaffirm our commitment to Articles 2(3) and 33 of the UN Charter, which provide that parties to any dispute shall first of all settle their disputes by peaceful means. States should refrain from the threat or use of force. Preventing war through the peaceful settlement of disputes is at the heart of the UN’s work. Human rights are safer in peace as they are in constant peril in war. It is to uphold human rights that the UN was created after the horrors of the Holocaust in the Second World War.
We continue to support the proposal of Cuba on strengthening the role of the UN and enhancing its effectiveness.
We also reaffirm our support for Ghana’s proposal on strengthening the relationship and cooperation between the UN and regional arrangements or agencies in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Ghana’s proposal is consistent with the Manila Declaration. It expresses a felt necessity to fill the gaps in the UN’s work by improving coordination with regional organizations in enforcement actions and conflict prevention, and by clarifying the Security Council’s role in these matters. We support the development of Guidelines by the Special Committee on this.
On the subtopic for the next annual thematic debate, we support the recommendation of the Special Committee that the focus be on “Exchange of information on State practices regarding the use of conciliation”.
We welcome the report on the Implementation of the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations related to assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions. We continue to believe that the imposition of sanctions should be considered as a last resort, and not as a preventive measure. They should be imposed only when it is determined that there exists a threat to international peace and security or an act of aggression, in accordance with the UN Charter.
With regard to the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs, while we note that there is still a backlog, we also note with appreciation progress made in the preparation of Repertory studies and in their posting on the Internet in three languages. We also support the use of the internship programme of the United Nations and the cooperation with academic institutions for the preparation of studies. We will work on identifying academic institutions that can contribute to the preparation of studies for the Repertory; and support the initiative of the Secretariat to invite academic institutions to which members of the International Law Commission are affiliated to consider contributing to the preparation of studies.
Finally Mr. Chair, we also note progress made towards updating the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council, and stress the importance of it being made available electronically in all its language versions.
Thank you.