ACTING FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY ESTEBAN CONEJOS,

JR OPENS DFA CELEBRATION OF THE 62^nd ANNIVERSARYOF THE UNITED NATIONS

23 October 2007 - Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Esteban Conejos, Jr., together with the Hon. Rafael Seguis, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Rora Navarro-Tolentino, Chief of Staff and the Hon. Evan Garcia, Assistant Secretary of the Office of the United Nations and other International Organizations (UNIO), led the opening of the week-long DFA celebration of the 62^nd Founding Anniversary of the United Nations on 22 October 2007 at the Department of Foreign Affairs.  Also in attendance were UN officials based in Manila.

In his remarks following the flag ceremony, Acting Secretary Conejos emphasized the important global role that the United Nations continues to play, which is fully supported by the Department. He noted that the universal and timeless principles enshrined in the UN Charter are reaffirmed every week as the Department's personnel recited their pledge to uphold the Department's mission. These include the commitment to work for social justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms and a democratic way of life, and to secure a world free from environmental degradation, transnational crime and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

The Acting Secretary then opened the Special Photo Exhibit on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in the Department. Selected short feature films on the work of the United Nations and of UN Goodwill Ambassadors, will also be shown in the Department. These UN Goodwill Ambassadors and their fields of concentration include: Michael Douglas (small arms and children in armed conflict), Angelina Jolie (refugees), George Clooney (Darfur), Magic Johnson (drugs), Mia Farrow, Angelique Kidjo, Clay Aiken and Roger Federer (children).

UNIO Assistant Secretary Evan Garcia led the Stand Up Pledge Against Poverty to reaffirm the Department's commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015.