18 April 2006 – The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the First Counter-Terrorism Experts’ Conference to be held at the Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort in Cebu from 20 – 22 April 2006, demonstrating the country’s commitment to and all-out support for the international campaign against terrorism.

The Department added that Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, who is now in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on 19 and 20 April 2006, is also scheduled to deliver the closing remarks at the Conference on 22 April 2006.

The Conference, with the theme “Defeating Dilemmas in Counter-Terrorism,” is organized by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) with the cooperation of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (DFA-OUIER).

APEC CTTF Chairman Ambassador Benjamin Defensor, Jr. said the Conference’s key objective is “to extensively explore a realistic ‘middle ground’ to counter-terrorism, a strategic policy response that is developmental in nature, takes into account subject-regional approaches, rationalizes capacity-building, addresses peculiar causes and conditions and allows developing countries to strike a balance between receiving counter-terrorism assistance and protecting their cultures and religions.”

Chairman Defensor, Jr. added that, “Such an objective augurs well with President Arroyo’s policy to promote tolerance and broader solution of conflicts through interfaith dialogue.  The President has also pursued a middle ground in the quest for a comprehensive, socially just and principled peace process in Mindanao.”

Participants in the Conference include experienced counter-terrorism practitioners, policymakers, civil society leaders, and renowned scholars.

Among the speakers are Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Senior Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste, who will present the paper “Dilemmas in the Fight Against Terrorism;” Ambassador Ellen Margarette Loj of Denmark, Chairperson, United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, who will discuss “Strengthening Understanding of Global Terrorism;” and Philippine broadcast journalist Maria Ressa who will share her views on “The Way Forward for Developing Countries.”

Chairman Defensor, Jr. explained that “the Conference will extensively explore the strategies in counter-terrorism that will complement current international efforts utilizing the perspective of countries that live with and take prime responsibility for dealing with the threat of terrorism.”

The output of the Conference would establish the common counter-terrorism position of experts, specially the “middle way,” which would be called the “Mactan Concord,” Chairman Defensor, Jr. said.

President Arroyo first announced the holding of the Conference during the meeting of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with US President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea, in November 2005.

“The Philippines, as chair of the United Nations Security Council 1566 Counter-Terrorism Committee that monitors reports on all non-Al Qaeda and non-Taliban terrorist activities, is well-positioned to host this Conference,” Chairman Defensor, Jr. explained, adding that the Philippines also heads the APEC counter-terrorism task force with its main task of coordinating the members’ implementation of the 2002 Leaders’ Statement on Fighting Terrorism and of advancing assistance for counter-terrorism projects.   In addition to these responsibilities, the Philippines assumed the chairmanship of the ASEAN Standing Committee that convened last March. END