YouSaid · the spoken record

Albert del Rosario

lines on the record

79

first

2012-09-24

most recent

2015-09-24

sittings or episodes

4

sources

un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “Allow me to further elaborate on aspects of the principles and themes the Philippines has put forward. The Philippines continues to aspire to a global economic system that places development at the centre and promotes democracy in international economic decision-making. Ultimately, it behoves us to consider reform of the overall global economic system as we craft a sound, sustainable development agenda. To achieve meaningful reform, what we need now is a strong political impetus from all of us to make this happen. Governments must see beyond political differences and agree to work together to ensure a level global playing field. It is for this reason that the Philippines staunchly supports the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development goals. The post-2015 development agenda should squarely address migration.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

2. “These pillars are poverty reduction and social inclusion; environmental sustainability, climate change and disaster risk management; accountable, responsive and participatory governance; a fair and stable order based on the international rule of law; and peace and security. My Government will formulate and implement policies that will be defined by these pillars. These policies will duly be integrated into my country’s national development agenda, and progress will be monitored at regular intervals. On the global front, the Philippines proposes that the duration of the post-2015 development agenda should be 10 years, with a major review to be undertaken by 2020. Reforms should be front-loaded within the first half of the period to pave the way for substantive accomplishments by 2020.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

3. “We need look no further than the United Nations Charter to identify the building blocks for the global post-2015 development agenda. For this agenda to be relevant and responsive, it must be anchored in four main principles: human rights; equality, equity, people empowerment, social cohesion and justice; accountable governance; and inclusive development. My country has identified five pillars that we believe will address our own specific development challenges. These pillars represent the areas where progress is most needed to build a rights-based, equitable and sustainable society.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

4. “The Philippines was one of 66 countries chosen by the United Nations to conduct open, inclusive and transparent consultations with a broad range of stakeholders aimed at generating perspectives on how the post-2015 development agenda framework should look. We took to this task earnestly by undertaking consultations with more than 500 stakeholders representing the Government, civil society, the business community and academia. Our national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda have identified the following building blocks of the new framework, as well as the development themes deemed most relevant to the Philippines. These building blocks are composed of four principles, five themes and various development enablers, and were offered to the United Nations system as the Philippines’ contribution to the ongoing discourse.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

5. “Building the capacities of national and local stakeholders to help reduce the vulnerability and increase the physical and economic resilience of communities must be a key development goal. These important elements will further enrich the United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2012-2018 for the Philippines. With the overall theme “Supporting inclusive, sustainable and resilient development”, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework seeks to fully align United Nations work with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016. My Government is actively participating in the international discourse on sustainable development and in crafting the post-2015 development agenda.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

6. “Thirdly, the active participation of various stakeholders — namely, the private sector, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the constituents and international development partners — must be strongly promoted and supported. This ensures that policies and programmes are responsive and inclusive. Fourthly, local Government units should be empowered. Beyond the delivery of basic social services, the capacities of local Government units in formulating and implementing policies and programmes must be strengthened and guided by the principles of transparency and accountability. Fifthly, the capability to generate accurate, timely and relevant data at the national and local levels must be enhanced. Sixthly, disaster risk reduction must be mainstreamed to enable communities to better cushion the impact of man-made and natural disasters.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

7. “As we pursue the path towards this very type of growth, my Government is guided by the following important lessons learned from our experience in working towards the Millennium Development Goals. First, strong institutional arrangements are necessary. For the Philippines, that means that the highest political support is given to the attainment of the MDGs, involving all branches of Government and other key stakeholders. Secondly, specific policies, programmes and projects must be aligned with national development goals. In our MDG experience, innovative social protection programmes include conditional cash transfers, universal health care, the comprehensive and integrated delivery of social services, a K-12 basic education programme, and a community mortgage programme.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

8. “As a result, the Philippines is reaping the first fruits of its hard work. In the past four quarters, the Philippine economy has experienced unprecedented growth of over 7 per cent. As a result, the Philippines won three investment-grade ratings and is now considered a growth engine in the region. These glowing reports are, of course, well received by my Government, but we are under no illusion that these indicators alone constitute success. For the past 13 years, the MDGs have been integrated into the Philippine development plan for 2011-2016. Yet our work continues and the challenge we now face is clear. It is how to ensure that growth is inclusive, resilient and sustainable.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

9. “As we set the stage for the post-2015 framework, let us reaffirm the very raison d’être of the United Nations, which is to accord every person the opportunity at a life that is secure, progressive and dignified. That purpose is enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and is central to President Benigno Aquino III’s social contract with the Filipino people. Under President Aquino’s leadership, my country has embarked on a journey along a straight path — or, as we say in Filipino, “daang matuwid” — resolving to work towards inclusive growth, combating corruption, promoting transparency and accountability, improving global competitiveness, making better use of resources, achieving just and lasting peace, and upholding the rule of law. The Aquino Administration firmly maintains that good governance is good economics.”

   2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

10. “On behalf of the Philippine Government, I proffer my warmest congratulations to the President on his election. I wish him success and assure him of my country’s steadfast support for his presidency. The theme that has been selected for this session is indeed timely and relevant. We must start setting the stage for the new development agenda that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework. Barely two years before its deadline, considerable work still lies ahead of us. For instance, the global economic and financial crisis has underscored the need for reform towards greater systemic coherence; the multilateral trading system remains frozen in the past; and the persistence of an outdated development paradigm results in policy prescriptions and conditionalities inimical to the interests of many developing countries.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

11. “I shall modify it to say that “we are a community of nations and not of hegemons”. Let us make this a reality. Let us all, without exception, respect the international legal framework to utilize institutions and adhere to commitments in treaties and conventions. For in so doing, we create global norms that will serve our nations in good stead today and in the future, and we will preserve the one great institution that we have charged with promoting peace and prosperity in our world, our United Nations. If we achieve this, rather than being forced to accept that might is right, we will instead demonstrate that right is might.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

12. “Today, my country faces its most serious challenge — a challenge to the security of its maritime domain and the integrity of its national territory, as well as its effective protection of its marine environment. To address this challenge and to arrive at a durable resolution, we must rely on the rule of law and not the force of arms. We must rely on the body of rules that state that disputes must be resolved peacefully. We must rely on the norms and rules enshrined in UNCLOS. We therefore rely on our friends and allies and all those who believe in the peaceful and fair management of the seas and oceans to uphold the rule of law and UNCLOS. We will endeavour to elicit a more proactive approach from the General Assembly. We often hear the quote that “we are a country of laws and not of men”.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

13. “For that reason, we share the President’s view that “Bringing about the adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means” is essential to the future peace, progress and prosperity of all nations. Furthermore, from the perspective of the rule of law, and given the maritime disputes that have intensified in the Asian region, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has never been more relevant than it is today. All States must respect their obligations to settle their maritime disputes by peaceful means under UNCLOS, without the threat or use of force. A rules-based approach under UNCLOS can peacefully resolve the Asian maritime disputes.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

14. “The United Nations was created to protect the weak from the strong, to provide for the equality of all sovereign States and to enshrine the rule of law as the governing principle in regulating international disputes.The Philippines is therefore steadfast in promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes through a rules-based approach. We stand firmly behind the efforts of the United Nations to promote the rule of law and mediation. In 1982, we adopted the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes. This year marks its thirtieth anniversary. The principles and processes set out in the Manila Declaration remain applicable to this day and are a stark reminder that we have yet to overcome the barriers that divide countries and peoples throughout the planet.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

15. “We express our appreciation to the General Assembly for the adoption of resolution 66/222, declaring 2014 the International Year of Family Farming. As a country particularly prone to natural disasters, including those wrought by climate change, we value the work being done in advancing the management of natural disaster risk reduction. Global and regional cooperation through partnerships is the best way to strengthen the international humanitarian and emergency response system. Natural disasters plague mankind. The forces of nature are difficult to contain. That should not be the case in humankind’s quest for peace. While natural disasters are impossible to prevent, the same is not true of war and conflict.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

16. “Poverty, hunger, poor health and education and a deteriorating environment are threats to all and require nothing less than our concerted and collective response. In all development efforts, we must respect the principles and norms of sustainability that are crucial to the continued health of the Earth and of our peoples. Consequently, the Philippines will further integrate key ideas from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development into the review of its medium- term development plan, even as we continue to pursue the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. For many developing countries such as the Philippines, food security remains a crucial issue. Recent events have shown that the capacity to source affordable food can affect millions of people, sometimes even to the extent of their sheer survival.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

17. “Our ratification brings those two agreements into force next year. As a further indication of our commitment to protecting the rights of migrants, the Philippines will co-host a regional meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, under the title “International Migrant Domestic Care Workers at the Interface of Migration and Development”, in Manila later this month, with the support of UN-Women, the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration. The rule of law is an instrument of justice and development. Yet the continuing global economic challenges and financial instability make it even more important that we focus on ensuring that the rule of law gives everyone their due.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

18. “Migration remains an unheralded and underappreciated dimension of globalization today. Yet the reality is that hundreds of millions live and work outside their native lands, providing benefits to both their host nations and their countries of origin. The Global Forum on Migration and Development, which the Philippines chaired in 2008, allows us to share our practical experiences in migration management and in protecting the rights and welfare of all migrants. We look forward to a successful outcome of the Forum summit in Port Louis, Mauritius, in November. Earlier this year, the Philippines was pleased to ratify two key international instruments that affect migrants everywhere, namely, the Maritime Labour Convention and the Convention concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

19. “Accordingly, the Philippines, together with Tanzania, initiated resolution 66/124, entitled “High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities”. The 2013 High-level Meeting seeks the inclusiveness of the disabled, a cause to which all should rally. We are instituting measures to enhance the role and the status of women and are strengthening their protection through the Philippine Commission on Women, whose foundation predates the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, through the key legislation of the Magna Carta of Women and through the Philippine Plan for Gender- Responsive Development 1995-2015.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

20. “The noble vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of many other profound declarations is far from being realized for the poor, the deprived, the oppressed and the marginalized. The recent global financial and economic crises have left such vulnerable sectors of our societies in even greater danger. The Philippine Government therefore strongly supports measures for the empowerment of those disadvantaged and endangered groups and strongly advocates policies that aim to raise their participation and integration in society. For that reason, it is important to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to plan for the post-MDG period, after 2015.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

21. “As a founding and current member of the Human Rights Council, the Philippines works with the other members of the Council to safeguard the human rights of vulnerable groups, such as migrants, women, children, young people, the elderly, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities. The Philippines has actively contributed to initiatives on human rights, extreme poverty, human rights education, combating trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and climate change. The Philippines was one of the first nations to submit to the universal periodic review process of the Human Rights Council. Last month, the Council adopted by consensus our second report under that review mechanism.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

22. “A full 80 per cent of world trade travels by sea — almost six billion tons of cargo, moved by some 93,000 merchant vessels, manned by 1.25 million seafarers. The business and human costs of piracy cannot be overstated. We support bilateral, multilateral, regional and interregional efforts to address the impact of piracy, including measures to improve the welfare of affected seafarers. The Philippine Constitution values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for all human rights. Our National Human Rights Action Plan 2009-2014 aims to mainstream human rights standards into all parts of the national Government and national life. The Plan fully respects our obligations under the eight major international human rights treaties.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

23. “For that reason, the Philippines became a founding member of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, and we are the main sponsor of the biennial General Assembly resolution on trafficking in women and girls. In pursuit of that objective, we call on all Member States to implement the Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons and to ratify and enforce human rights instruments such as the Palermo Protocol and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Many of my country’s overseas Filipinos are found on merchant ships. Filipinos form the bulk of seafarers. Many have fallen victim to pirates. Maritime piracy continues to be a menace to the entire world.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

24. “We aim to attain and surpass the 10 per cent deployment target of women in country troop contingents and 20 per cent for police deployments. With a tenth of the population of our country in foreign lands, there is a very real and human dimension to our quest to strengthen the rule of law. To further galvanize international dialogue and cooperation, the Philippines has been among the principal advocates for developing norms of international law that will protect not only our overseas Filipinos but all migrants. Human trafficking is a crime of such magnitude that it cannot be dealt with by a single nation or even by a group of nations. The international community as a whole must stand together against that scourge.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

25. “We must also actively pursue respect for the law of peace and humanitarian law in the numerous regional conflicts that affect the lives, safety and well-being of millions of people around the world. Towards that end, peacekeeping is the crucial tool by which the Charter’s mandate is carried out. Despite its limited resources, the Philippines is doing its part in that important task. We are currently a major contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions. We call on others to also do all that they can. And we support innovative efforts to help embattled communities, including proposals on possible unarmed peacekeeping that would expand the civilian component of our endeavours. The Philippines also recognizes the important role of women in the promotion of peace and continues to deploy more female peacekeepers to peacekeeping missions.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

26. “It is essential that such a zone be created for the volatile Middle East, as envisaged by the 2010 Review Conference. The Philippines commends the States of the region, the depository States of the 1995 resolution 50/78, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Government of Finland for setting the stage for the 2012 Conference that will pursue that most urgent objective. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is another critical pillar of global disarmament and non-proliferation. The Philippines commends Indonesia for being the latest annex 2 State to ratify the Treaty, and it reiterates its call to the remaining eight annex 2 States to accede at the soonest possible time. Other States not included in annex 2, but not parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, must do the same to ensure the universality of the Treaty.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

27. “As a result, the culture of impunity has been neutralized, our economy is on the upswing and our people’s rights and freedoms are assured. Among the gravest threats that continue to face us today is the deadly testament of man’s ability to destroy his fellow man. The full force of the rule of law must be brought to bear to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, to promote nuclear disarmament and to end the f low of illicit weapons. The Philippines is proud to have presided over the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The historic adoption of the 64 action points strengthened the legal regime of the Treaty. We also support nuclear-weapon-free zones, including the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone created by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

28. “It provides the rules that enable nations to relate to one another and work together. It reduces arbitrariness and unilateralism. Fidelity to the rule of law allows us not only the means to resolve differences but also the substance on which to build better understanding. Our advocacy for the rule of law not only is born of our experience and insights as a founding Member of the United Nations and an active participant in international affairs, but also is deeply rooted in our experience as a nation. Our freedom was hard-won. Our democracy was achieved only after decades of dictatorship. Our governance was sullied by corruption and patronage in previous years. Our President, Benigno S. Aquino III, has placed the rule of law at the centre of his governance.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

29. “Allow me to congratulate the President on his election and to offer the steadfast support of my country for his term. Each year we renew our commitment to our United Nations and to the Charter that enshrines, in the plainest of language, our hopes and aspirations for a progressive, peaceful and secure world. Our Organization and our Charter have survived and thrived through dark times and great adversity. The letter and spirit of the Charter remain alive and vibrant in a constantly changing world. Our work continues to be important, even in the face of doubts about the relevance of multilateral institutions. All that was possible because at the heart of our determination to build peace has been our commitment to the rule of law. Keeping faith in the law allows us to treat each other fairly and in the spirit of sovereign equality.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)