Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly. Below is the full speech. Play Video Mr.
President, In 1946, Carlos P. Romulo, who would become the first Asian President of the General Assembly said: “We are not here to make peace, but to build for peace, not to reap and divide the harvest of victory, but to make ready the hearts and minds of men and women for the needs of peace.” In those early years of the United Nations, the Philippines had clearly understood the magnitude of the work ahead.
As a founding member and a young nation, the Philippines committed fully to the aims and purposes of the UN. Eight decades hence – we still do. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
affirmed that multilateralism “remains the single viable platform for collective action against transcendent global challenges.” He emphasized that the rule of law and the integrity of the multilateral system must prevail amidst the current global challenges. The UN has held itself as the platform and pathway to address international peace and security.
It serves as the ground for states to find convergence amidst crises and conflict. It offers response and relief, hope and humanity. The Pact for the Future is a testament that global problems require global solutions, and that a better world is possible when States commit working together towards a common vision.
The Pact bridges our collective hopes and our contemporary .