24 April 2006, New York — When the 61st Session of the United Nations General Assembly opens in September, the Philippines will again have the chance to shine in the world stage after it was chosen as one of the vice presidents of what is considered to be one of the more important principal organs of the world body, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said.

In his report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Ambassador Lauro L. Baja Jr., Permanent Representative to the UN, said that the Philippines, along with Indonesia, Kuwait and Bhutan, has been endorsed by the 54-member Asian Group to occupy the four vice president slots reserved for Asia.

"Being a vice president of the General Assembly makes us a member of the powerful General Committee, which is responsible for setting the agenda for the session, " Ambassador Baja said. The Philippines will be one of 21 vice presidents of the general committee that sets the agenda for the session.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the UN, which decides on important questions relating to peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters. The Philippines had the opportunity to be president of the General Assembly during its Fourth Session in 1949 when Carlos P. Romulo became the first Asian to occupy the position.

The last time the Philippines became a member of the General Committee was in 2003 when Ambassador Baja was unanimously elected chairman of the Sixth (Legal) Committee. All chairmen of the six main committees of the General Assembly—Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee); Economic and Finance Committee (Second Committee); Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee); Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee); Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee); and the Sixth Committee are ex officio members of the General Committee.

The endorsement of the Philippines to be vice president of the 61 st UN General Assembly comes in the heels of the country's endorsement, also by the Asian Group, of its candidature for a seat in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six main organs of the world body.

"We in the Philippine Mission are glad that the Philippines remains visible in the radar screen of the UN," Ambassador Baja said.

On Thursday, the Philippines solidified its bid for membership in the ECOSOC following the formal endorsement of its candidacy by the Asian Group for a three-year term.

"The endorsement is a great leap forward and ensures our getting elected during the 61st General Assembly in October where I expect the Philippines to get the required two-thirds of UN members present and voting," Ambassador Baja said.  The ECOSOC is the principal organ of the UN that is tasked to coordinate economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions.

It also receives reports from 11 UN funds and programs. The Philippines last sat as a member of the body from 1992 to 1997. "Our membership in ECOSOC will also add more weight to our initiatives in the UN such as debt for equity, migration and trafficking," the ambassador pointed out.

Manila's candidacy in the ECOSOC follows its historic two-year membership in the Security Council that was capped by a Philippine-initiated summit of leaders of the 15 member states that was presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in September. END