A STAND FOR CONTINUED COMMITMENT:
THE PHILIPPINES-UNITED NATIONS PARTNERSHIP 

STATEMENT OF
HON. DR. ALBERTO G. ROMULO
SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS  

AT THE RECEPTION 
IN CELEBRATION OF UNITED NATIONS WEEK 

BULWAGANG APOLINARIO MABINI, DFA
19 OCTOBER 2006

Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ms. Nileema K. Noble, UN Resident Coordinator,
Distinguished Members of the UN System,
Colleagues in Government,
Friends from Civil Society,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I am pleased to welcome you to our traditional commemorative celebration of the founding of the United Nations. 

At the onset, I wish to express the Philippines' deep appreciation for the strong and visionary leadership of Secretary General Kofi Annan. As his term comes to a close, he leaves behind a lasting legacy to our Organization, the promise of a better world through the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 

At the same time, we warmly welcome and congratulate Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon of the Republic of Korea for his election as the eighth UN Secretary-General and for being the second Asian to hold such a distinction. We place our full confidence in his ability to steer our global organization towards world peace and development. 

An Evolving United Nations 

Secretary-General Annan pointed out that "Over its lifetime, the United Nations has changed from being principally a conference-service Organization to become a truly global service provider working on the ground in virtually every corner of the world to improve the lives of people who need help." 

Today, thousands of UN workers are at work where it matters - assisting in peacekeeping operations, monitoring the conduct of free and fair elections, promoting human rights, and transforming societies into pluralistic, progressive and people-centered democracies. 

Given the United Nations' demonstrated commitment, I am confident that Secretary-General-designate Ban Ki-moon will realize his earnest hope "that the young boys and girls of today will grow up knowing that the United Nations is working hard to build a better future for them." 

RP-UN Sustained Engagement 

The Philippines shares with the United Nations a mutually enriching and beneficial partnership. Replicated in the 192 nations that form the backbone of the UN family, it is a partnership that is constantly redefined and reaffirmed. 

Mindful that peace is our imperative, we committed our efforts for the maintenance of global peace and security. 

We supported the cause of peace through our non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2004 - 2005. We continue to hold the line for peace as part of peacekeeping operations all over the globe. 

Through our membership in the Human Rights Council and our participation in various UN fora, we advance the cause of human rights and the dignity of humanity, including those of migrant workers. 

Together with our ASEAN and Asia-Pacific neighbors, we are broadening stakeholder participation on a number of vital issues: disarmament, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, counter-terrorism and transnational crime. Recent regional developments have made cooperation in these areas even more urgent and significant. 

We worked hand in hand with the UN in times of crisis. During the Southern Lebanon conflict, for example, the International Organization on Migration collaborated closely with foreign governments to evacuate and ensure the safety of their nationals, including almost 7,000 Filipinos. 

To strengthen the foundations of peace, the Philippines has underscored the importance of interfaith dialogue in bridging peoples of different creeds and cultures and tearing down the walls of intolerance and bigotry. Through this key initiative, we hope to foster the spirit of brotherhood, greater understanding, mutual respect and harmony among all nations.  

With stakeholder support, the UN has become the fulcrum of interfaith and intercultural dialogue for peace. In May 2005, the Philippines inaugurated the First Tripartite Conference on Interfaith Cooperation in New York. And last month, we returned to New York to chair the First Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace. 

We hope to continue building on the progress we have made and further broaden the frontiers of peace through interfaith, intercultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and cooperation in the UN, as well as in other international fora. 

To ensure that no one is left behind on the road to development, the Philippines secured the support o f economic and developmental bodies, including the G -77 for its debt-for-equity or debt-for-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) swap. 

United in our Continuing Commitment 

While noteworthy progress has been made over the years in the UN's two-fold mission of maintaining peace and security and ensuring economic development, our commitment must remain unchanged. 

Continued efforts and strengthened cooperation between and among governments, UN bodies, and civil society are key elements for reaching the Millennium Development Goals on maternal health, nutrition, primary education and environmental sustainability, particularly for the world's most disadvantaged nations. 

We all have a stake in ensuring that the United Nations continues with its work diligently, effectively and efficiently.  

Dag Hammarskjold said that everything would fall into place "when we stop seeing the United Nations as an abstract Picasso painting and see it as a drawing we made ourselves." 

In the Philippines, we began United Nations Week with a symbolic "Stand Up Against Poverty," which reaffirmed our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and the cause of development. 

Tonight, we stand up once more and embrace the continuing challenges of a world truly united for peace and development. 

As Secretary-General Annan said, ""We share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together." 

/gary

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