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Philippine Statement - Security Council Open Debate on Maintaining International Peace and Security: Reflect on History, Reaffirm the Strong Commitment to the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations

Monday, 23 February 2015
Presenter: 
Hon. Irene Susan B. Natividad
Location: 
UN Headquarters, NY

PHILIPPINE STATEMENT

Security Council Open Debate

on

“Maintaining International Peace and Security: Reflect on History,

Reaffirm the Strong Commitment to the Purposes and Principles of

the Charter of the United Nations”

23 February 2015

Mr. President,

At the outset, allow me to extend the Philippines’ appreciation to China, as President of the Security Council for the month of February, for convening this open debate on a topic that is most relevant and at the very core of the existence of the United Nations.

Eight months from today the United Nations will mark the 70th year of its establishment. It was borne out of our collective desire for peace, our mutual interest to end the scourge of war, and our shared goal to achieve prosperity through peace.

With the number of countries facing crisis at record high and current conflicts causing the loss of thousands of innocent lives, destruction of property and displacement of families, and putting extraordinary strain on global resources, it is almost impossible to imagine a world where there is no world body fully devoted and committed to maintaining international peace and security.

As former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said in 1961: “With all its defects, with all the failures that we can check up against it, the UN still represents man’s bestorganized

hope to substitute the conference table for the battlefield.”

Yet, the United Nations can only be as effective and useful if its Member States make it to be. It is thus incumbent upon each of us to keep the letter and spirit of the UN Charter alive amidst new and persistent challenges.

Mr. President,

The Philippines aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iran on the behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and by Austria on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Rule of Law. The Philippines has consistently called for the rule of law, as embedded in the Charter, to be at the front and center of our collective resolve to achieve peace.

Peacemaking and Peacebuilding at Home: the Mindanao Peace Process

Mr. President,

The Philippines believes that the promotion of global peace primarily starts at home. The international community has witnessed our unwavering commitment and tireless efforts to bring and build peace in Southern Philippines.

We started a long journey towards achieving lasting peace in that part of the country and despite recent setbacks, the Philippine Government, as well as all relevant stakeholders in the peace process, remain steadfast to the goal of one day seeing a peaceful and prosperous Muslim Mindanao come to fruition.

To step back and reverse all progress made is not an option. We are grateful to the international community and the United Nations, which have given their strong support throughout this whole process, for the continued confidence.

The Rule of Law and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea

While we settle outstanding issues concerning the Mindanao peace process, we are facing an equally challenging task of resolving tensions in our regional seas.

The Philippines has resorted to the rule of law in trying to resolve these tensions and believes that the core instrument for resolving maritime disputes is the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

We have kept the international community apprised of our position on and developments in the peaceful settlement of disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, an issue which is undoubtedly and unquestionably of global concern.

The Philippines has resorted to arbitration to clarify maritime entitlements and settle maritime disputes peacefully through UNCLOS. Arbitration is fully entrenched in Chapter VI, Article 33 of the UN Charter on the pacific settlement of disputes.

We have called for, and reiterate our call for, a stop to all reclamation activities in the disputed areas and the acceleration of talks on a legally-binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Massive reclamation is a direct threat to the Philippines and other claimant States and should be considered a great concern for all States as it threatens the security and overall peace and stability in the region.

Moreover, the massive reclamation that is causing widespread destruction of the region’s biodiversity will also irreparably damage the entire ecological balance in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. Such irreversible damage will have longterm effects on all the peoples across geopolitical boundaries who have depended on the sea for their livelihood for generations.

Equally incumbent upon us is to ensure the safety of these peoples who have been peacefully, sustainably, and legitimately pursuing their livelihood in these areas. Those whose actions endanger the lives of these people and those who do not heed the call for restraint are not being true to the cause of peace.

Mr. President,

It is unfortunate that some of us here have forgotten the horrors of wars, have undertaken actions that undermine peace and security in our regions, and have rendered meaningless the commitments made in San Francisco in 1945 to “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors” and “to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security.”

Amidst all these threats to peace that confront us today, the international community can count on the Philippines to uphold the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter. The UN and its Charter have been, and will remain to be, crucial bastions for the voices of all countries to be heard on the global stage.

Thank you