17 November 2004, New York—The Philippines will play a significant role in the historic Security Council meeting to be held in Nairobi to discuss how to end the conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region in Sudan.
 
In a report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Ambassador Lauro L. Baja Jr., Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the two-day meeting to be held in the Kenyan capital on 17 and 18 November would also discuss the situation in Somalia and the role of regional organizations in the peace process in the region.
 
Ambassador Baja said the meeting has a historic importance because it would only be the fourth time that the Security Council will be convening outside the United Nations headquarters in New York since 1952. It is also the second meeting of the Security Council to be held in Africa.
 
"The Philippines has been playing a significant role on three items in the agenda of the Security Council meeting in Nairobi, namely: Sudan, Somalia and role of regional organizations,” said Ambassador Baja.

Ambassador Baja said the Philippines would be actively participating in the Nairobi discussions on how to promote a peace agreement between Khartoum and southern rebels that is key to ending the conflict in Darfur. He recalled that it was during the Philippine presidency of the Security Council in June that the first resolution on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur was adopted.

The Philippines is also expected to figure prominently in discussions on Somalia, which according to Ambassador Baja is now emerging from the status of a failed state. The Philippines is the chairman of the Security Council Sanctions Committee 751 overseeing the implementation of the arms embargo against Somalia.
 
“We have also always advocated regional approaches to regional problems,” he said, adding that the Nairobi meeting will also be attended by representatives of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

Accompanying Ambassador Baja in the meeting is Third Secretary and Alternate Representative Patrick Chuasoto of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations. END