Excellencies and distinguished delegates,

My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by Indonesia on behalf of NAM and by Singapore on behalf of ASEAN.

At the high-level segment last month, my President raised concern about the profound lack of trust that is putting enormous strains on our multilateral system. He stressed that amidst challenging global tides, the rules-based international order remains an important ballast that stabilizes our common vessel.

It is in this spirit that we affirm our commitment to the spirit of multilateralism and the work of the United Nations disarmament machinery. Multilateralism must remain based on international law and the principles of equity and of justice and must be pursued with inclusivity and transparency. We must reject any attempt to reject or revise our common understanding of the principles that underpin the global governance regime, including the United Nations disarmament machinery.

Mister Chair,

The Philippines is pleased that the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC), having been confronted by challenges for the past three years, has resumed its annual session last April. We look forward to working together with delegations to be able to agree on concrete recommendations on the two items in the agenda - nuclear disarmament and outer space. UNDC is an important platform as it brings all Member States together to discuss and address important issues to enhance international peace and security.

We also recognize the important role of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and reiterates our call to the Conference, along with many delegations, to agree, by consensus, on a balanced and comprehensive program of work without further delay.

Mister Chair,

 My delegation also aligns itself with the statement of Canada on behalf of a cross-regional group of Member States, on the importance of applying a gender perspective in the disarmament machinery.

The Philippines, as a known gender-champion, strongly supports calls for States to collectively incorporate gender perspectives in all efforts within arms control and disarmament. The Philippines has an existing National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security which provides ways and measures to uphold gender inclusion in consultative meetings and planning activities, serves as our response to various international instruments on WPS, and supports the implementation of national mandates on women and gender equality as well as peace and development. We also welcome the work that has been done in the past years to advance these issues in the broader disarmament machinery.

Multistakeholder approach played a vital role, not only in raising awareness on gender perspectives, but in the broader work of arms control and disarmament. Civil society, the academe, and the youth, among others, stimulates discussions that allows us to have more meaningful dialogue not only in the First Committee but in all fora. The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and other think tanks improve the functioning of the disarmament machinery and we call on States to take advantage of their analyses to enhance disarmament efforts at the local, regional, and global levels.

Thank you, Mister Chair.