YouSaid · the spoken record

Enrique A. Manalo

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38
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2020-08-12
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2021-06-28
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5
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un-security-council

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  1. Protecting children requires a whole-of-Government approach that centers children in conflict-prevention, during situations of armed conflict, and in peace processes. The Philippines remains committed to mobilizing all relevant agencies to achieve this. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed novel challenges in addressing the decades-old problem of children and armed conflict. But if the international community learns from innovative solutions and redoubles its efforts, we can make strides in protecting children and preventing conflict.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  2. This aligns the Armed Forces’ commitment to the protection of children with international humanitarian and human rights laws by ensuring all personnel are properly trained to respect children’s rights. Under the Strategic Plan, the United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting shall assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines in revising its policy guidelines towards strengthened protection of children in situations of armed conflict, and enhanced accountability for grave child rights violations. The Secretary-General’s country reports are also valuable. The reports are most effective when there is active communication with national agencies during the drafting process. Doing so allows national agencies to quickly address potential issues or clarify information.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  3. This framework guides Department of Education (DepEd) offices at all levels, including schools in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from armed conflict incidents. While in December 2020, DepEd, in partnership with UNICEF Philippines, also published a report on building communities and schools as zones of peace which featur ed case studies of schools and communities in armed conflict situations in different parts of the country. International cooperation can support national implementation and monitoring efforts. Recently, the Armed Forces of the Philippines signed a Strategic Plan with the United Nations resident coordinator and UNICEF representative to the Philippines.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  4. The caravan engaged a total of 430 national and regional frontline service providers from the Government, private sector, civil society organizations, and supported by child protection allies and child rights advocates. A series of online consultations at the national and regional levels were also conducted on the new handling protocol for children in situations of armed conflict, towards equipping responders with step-by-step procedures on how to efficiently respond to children in situations of armed conflict and grave chi ld rights violations and concerns. Similarly, the dissemination activities on the National Policy Framework on Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace were conducted virtually.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  5. Girls’ access to education is both a preventative measure and an essential component of post-conflict rehabilitation and reintegration. National laws and commitments must be paired with robust dissemination, implementation, and monitoring. COVID-19 has strained government resources and posed new logistical challenges. Despite this, the Philippine Government, together with civil society, continues to strengthen protection mechanisms for children affected by armed conflict by raising awareness for the Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Law. The Council for the Welfare of Children led an online caravan to disseminate the salient features of the Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Law to clusters in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in August 2020.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  6. These devastating events have only strengthened our resolve and commitment to protect children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and various Security Council resolutions informed Republic Act 11188. Signed into law in 2019, the Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Law declares children as “zones of peace” and provides special protection against grave violations. Furthermore, this act recognizes that child protection must be gender sensitive. Girls affected by armed conflict are more vulnerable to sexual violence and are often the first to drop out of school. To this end, the Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Law affirms girls’ rights to education and access to reproductive health services.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  7. We appreciate the presidency of Estonia in organizing this open debate as we mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the creation of the children and armed conflict agenda this year. We also thank briefers for their informative presentations. Children have the right to be children. Armed conflict deprives them of this right. In armed conflict, children are endangered by direct attacks, damage to essential infrastructure including schools, and recruitment into armed organizations. Disrupted access to education and health services have long-term consequences on the physical and mental well-being of children and hampers the development of entire communities. The Philippines has experienced these challenges firsthand, notably during the siege of Marawi by ISIS elements in 2017 and in incidents with armed rebel groups since then.

    2021-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/617 (2021) · source

  8. Finally, the Philippines underscores the importance of the Secretariat accountability system and the need to strengthen risk management and internal controls in the management of peacekeeping budgets to facilitate mandate implementation and increase transparency in peacekeeping operations. We believe that peacekeeping issues must be discussed in a broader forum in order to respond to the problem of the persistent gap between those who decide on the mandates of peace operations and those who deploy the troops and police for implementation of the mandates. Finally, the Philippines looks forward to participating in the 2021 Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Republic of Korea this December, which, we anticipate, will discuss safety and security issues in a post-COVID-19 era.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  9. We recommend that the terms of reference of the focal point be discussed between the C-34 members and the Secretariat and approved by the Security Council members. Fourthly, on the specific actions that must be taken to improve the safety and security of peacekeepers, the Philippines underscores the continued importance of predeployment and in-mission training sessions for our peacekeepers, not only for their safety and security, but also to contribute to the peacekeeping mission’s overall performance. There should also be better integration and coordination of efforts across the pillars of peacekeeping missions and United Nations agencies. United Nations peacekeepers should not be left behind in global and local efforts to contain the virus and should be prioritized in health programmes in response to the pandemic.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  10. We encourage greater collaboration between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations in peace operations, including through the implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership between ASEAN and the United Nations, in areas such as the Triangular Partnership Project, capacity-building, the sharing of best practices and increasing women’s participation in peacekeeping. Thirdly, on the implementation of resolution 2518 (2020), to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers, the Philippines supports the appointment of “an overall focal point for the safety and security of peacekeepers” (ibid, para. 156), a new strategic policy recommendation put forward in the 2021 C-34 report.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  11. Whether at the United Nations country team level or through the United Nations- World Bank partnership in crisis-affected settings, such initiatives enhance investments in capacity for conflict prevention and strengthen the link between peace and development actors. This shift towards prevention and partnership strategically contributes to the prospects of strengthening the safety and security of our peacekeepers. Secondly, on improving the safety and security of peacekeepers as a shared responsibility, the Philippines believes that policy and financial support for intergovernmental platforms that enable peer learning among Member States are key to building resilience in peacekeeping, encouraging constructive dialogues on the challenges in sustaining peace and pursuing strategic partnerships.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  12. The Philippines joined last month the Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of Peacekeepers, together with over 50 Member States from all geographical regions. The Group of Friends aims to build a platform for strengthening information- sharing, policy coordination and capacity-building to enhance the safety and security of our peacekeepers in United Nations field missions. This is a timely initiative, given the pandemic context. The Philippines wishes to submit the following points. First, on long-term investment and efforts to improve the safety and security of peacekeepers, the Philippines reiterates its call for the United Nations to continue its partnership with international development and financial institutions in terms of innovative financing options on peacebuilding and sustaining peace programmes.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  13. The 2021 C-34 report, negotiated virtually early this year under extraordinary circumstances, stresses that “United Nations peacekeepers deployed in deteriorating and complex political and security environments face asymmetrical and complex threats, and have increasingly become a target for hostile actors... It is of critical importance that the Secretariat work closely in consultation with Member States in a transparent manner on the implementation of the Action Plan to Improve the Security of Peacekeepers, within its authority” (A/75/19, para. 152). We appreciate the efforts of China, under its presidency of the Security Council, to convene today’s open debate on “United Nations peacekeeping operations: improving safety and security of peacekeepers”.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  14. Peacekeeping operations remain the flagship programme of the United Nations enterprise. The safety and security of peacekeepers continues to be one of the highest priorities of the Organization. During the general debate of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) in February this year, delegations, including that of the Philippines, reaffirmed their national commitments to the safety and security of peacekeepers and condemned in the strongest terms attacks against United Nations peacekeeping personnel and all acts of violence. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated the complexity of security risks to our peacekeepers.

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

  15. Sustained capacity-building continues to be one of our priorities, and we expect that CTED’s follow-up visit will help in the design and provision of capacity- building programmes that address our challenges, including for the implementation of our nascent National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the Philippines. As we commemorate 20 years since the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), the resolution that aims to fortify international cooperation in combating terrorism, the Philippines reiterates its strong support for the indispensable work of the Counter- Terrorism Committee and for sustaining the momentum of recent exchanges to further increase our level of engagement.

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  16. Our cooperative relationship with the CTC has been robust. We appreciate CTED’s second follow-up visit to the Philippines conducted on behalf of the CTC in October 2019. We take the Committee’s recommendations seriously and look forward to their implementation. We are also pleased with the joint high-level visit to Manila by Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General Coninsx in March 2020, just before the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deep-dive assessment visit of the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel Programme was also productive. Our agencies continue to study the road map S/2021/48 and review the proposed memorandum of understanding provided on the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme so that we can respond to the recommendations provided therein.

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  17. The Marawi siege, in which foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) took part, taught us that an effective legal framework is crucial. In response to the recommendations of CTED and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, we have strengthened our legal and criminal justice framework by enacting the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Law, which shores up the legal framework by finally allowing us to prosecute FTFs and perpetrators of acts of terrorism. As implemented, the law mandates the State to uphold the basic rights and fundamental liberties of the people enshrined in the Constitution; its enactment was undertaken pursuant to our commitment to and strict adherence with relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2178 (2014), and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  18. The Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army, collectively known as the Communist Terrorist Group, has remained engaged in illegal operations despite the onslaught of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It has perpetrated armed attacks and illegal activities against the Government. Our resources are stretched because of the pandemic, but we remain vigilant. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has intensified the Government’s efforts to deter terrorist fighters, while also addressing the root causes of violent extremism and radicalization. The Philippine Government has continued to support collective efforts aimed at combating terrorism and transnational crimes and has cooperated closely with the CTC through its Executive Directorate (CTED).

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  19. As a contribution to the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), soon after the adoption of the resolution, in November 2002, the Philippines hosted the International Conference on Terrorism and Tourism Recovery, in the wake of the Bali terrorist bombing. The Conference issued the Makati Accord of 2002, which embodied the strong resolve of all participating countries to intensify efforts aimed at fighting the international terrorist threat. To this day terrorism remains a serious threat to the Philippines and many other countries. Such terrorist groups as the Abu Sayyaf continue to conduct many attacks. Online recruitment has increased.

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  20. We appreciate the initiative taken by the Tunisian leadership to organize today’s important open debate on international cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). We thank Under-Secretary General Vladimir Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx for briefing the Security Council. The Philippines has been a strong supporter of resolution 1373 (2001), which established the basis for the Security Council response in countering terrorist threats. Resolution 1373 (2001) also established the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) as a subsidiary body of the Council to assess the compliance of the States Members of the United Nations with the resolution’s provisions.

    2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source

  21. The ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, ASEAN’s research arm, can also share best practices and lessons learned on conflict management and conflict resolution involving women peace negotiators and advocates. To promote the further participation of women in the peacekeeping work of the United Nations, the Philippines recommends the designation of female peacekeepers to key United Nations positions, an increase in training opportunities for female peacekeepers and the allocation of a certain percentage of posts to female peacekeepers in formed units or contingent deployments. The Philippines reiterates its commitment to resolution 1325 (2000) and is ready to cooperate with international partners to achieve these goals.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  22. In promoting gender-sensitive investigations, the PNP was able to establish 2,167 Women and Children Protection Desks nationwide, manned by 5,774 trained women investigators. In our region, the Philippines supports the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) aimed at mainstreaming the women and S/2020/1084 S/2020/1084 peace and security agenda in its work. The ASEAN Women for Peace Registry, a compendium of women leaders in ASEAN with expertise in the various aspects of peace processes, including negotiation, mediation, facilitation and research, inter alia, is a good practice that may be shared with other organizations.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  23. In the light of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Philippine Defence Department seeks to increase financing of the women and peace and security agenda recognizing that the pandemic exacerbates gender inequality in conflict-affected, post-conflict and humanitarian crisis contexts. Women and girls face a higher incidence of gender-based violence, more difficulties in accessing basic goods and services, and greater numbers of human rights violations. The Philippine National Police (PNP) is mandated by law to prioritize the recruitment and training of women in this male-dominated organization. The PNP has to reserve 10 per cent of its annual recruitment, training and education quota for women. In recent years, however, the actual percentage of women in the police has gone up as much as 20 per cent.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  24. The Government peace panel was headed by a woman, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the first female chief negotiator in the world to sign a peace accord with a rebel group. The Philippines supports the work of the United Nations system in integrating gender dimensions in all aspects of peacebuilding. The Department of National Defence has responded to the United Nations goal of increasing female participation in United Nations peace operations by pledging 30 female military observers/ peacekeeping staff to the United Nations Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System. In our view, women bring unique perspectives to peacebuilding and peacekeeping, which results in improved situational awareness, enhanced access to critical services and deepened trust with local communities, among other outcomes.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  25. A product of constructive engagement between the Government and civil society, the Philippine plan maximized the gains of decades of gender-mainstreaming work in the country. It enabled national Government agencies and local Government units to identify interventions in the area of women and peace and security for integration in their regular plans, budgets and accomplishment reports, as required by the country’s landmark law, the Magna Carta of Women. The Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan 2017-2022 currently provides a framework for promoting women’s rights and leadership roles in peacebuilding, peacekeeping and peace negotiations. In 2014, the Philippine Government signed a peace accord with the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades-long conflict in Mindanao.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  26. The Philippines thanks the Russian presidency of the Security Council this month for convening this important debate and the other members of the Council for their efforts aimed at advancing the women and peace and security agenda in the Council’s work. We also thank the Secretary-General and the briefers for their briefings today. The Philippines views women’s full, effective and meaningful participation in all stages of the peace process as critical, given women’s indispensable role in the prevention and resolution of conflict and in peacebuilding and peacekeeping. These principles are embodied in resolution 1325 (2000) and in subsequent relevant resolutions. The Philippines was the first country in Asia to adopt a national action plan on women and peace and security.

    2020-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1084 (2020) · source

  27. The distribution of support to communities should be based on a conflict- sensitive assessment to prevent the escalation of conflict and to give priority to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. To bridge the gap between today’s crisis and the future we want, we must address the vulnerabilities COVID-19 has exposed. The Philippines believes that addressing the challenges of sustaining peace in a COVID-19 context must be anchored on sound strategies, with a clear political vision for United Nations field missions, and integrated into a culture of accountability. Given the multidimensional risks to sustaining peace, global leadership and cooperation are needed more than ever to combat the biggest test that the world has faced since the Second World War.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  28. We are bracing for a steep decline in economic output, and a steep rise in the cost of social safety nets to soften the fall to the ground. Giving special priority to countries plagued with internal conflict in terms of financial aid, humanitarian assistance and vaccines against COVID-19 will ensure that the gains of the peace process and peacebuilding will be sustained. The reprioritization of programmes and funding should allow for existing peacebuilding initiatives to continue to mitigate the risks arising from conflict and the pandemic. Financing strategies should be flexible and informed by conflict and context analyses, taking into consideration also the secondary effects of the pandemic.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  29. These are heavy on development, but have lasting impacts on peace. Channelling resources to health, education, socioeconomic development and environmental protection will benefit the quest for peace in the long term must be encouraged. The United Nations should also continue to offer technical and core support for the institutional development of States with internal conflicts, and that should be tailored and context-specific. The Security Council could facilitate knowledge and experience sharing by harnessing other countries’ good practices and lessons learned in managing and mitigating these crises. While we are in the middle of a crisis and we cannot begin to guess its end, it is never too soon for a post-pandemic recovery plan.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  30. This will help minimize frequent horizontal conflicts that indirectly affect the peace process. Moreover, this should be done together with a robust information and education campaign on minimum public health standards and disease awareness and prevention. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community and its partners, including the United Nations, are being called upon to extend support for ASEAN member States that are pursuing peace and development in troubled and conflict-ridden communities through humanitarian support to adapt to the risks of COVID-19. This humanitarian intervention will serve as a foundation to effectively resume the implementation of the peace agreements forged. The United Nations should encourage cooperation among its Member States in addressing the fissures that were magnified by COVID-19.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  31. They also help build and strengthen capacities on conflict resolution to address the persistence of violence on the ground and help reach local peace agreements between those involved. Strengthened coordination between peacekeepers and local Government units should be pursued to ensure that communities, particularly the vulnerable segments of the population, are protected against threats of armed conflict and from COVID-19 infection. There is a need to sustain capacity-building on conflict- sensitive and peace-promoting approaches, including conflict resolution processes for peacekeepers, Government and humanitarian aid actors involved in peacebuilding work or who are delivering interventions in conflict-affected areas, to ensure that stakeholders continue to benefit from the peace dividends of the peace pacts forged.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  32. As such, responsive and timely measures must be undertaken to address the impact of the pandemic on these vulnerable sectors, taking into account their added vulnerabilities caused by the intersectionality of natural disasters and armed conflict, and to strengthen their capacities to respond to the impacts of the pandemic. In the context of the Philippines, peacekeeping operations play a role in humanitarian assistance. In cases of clashes between clans, which are prevalent in Mindanao, peacekeeping missions serve as the first responders in mitigating the armed conflict, directly communicating with the parties to the conflict and mediating to reduce the tension.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  33. Institutions accountable for protecting the human rights of women and girls before, during and after conflict situations and for preventing incidents of violence against women must remain fully operational to ensure that the gender-responsive and culture and conflict-sensitive and peace-promoting approaches continue to be observed. It is important to recognize the important role of women, youth, the elderly, the differently abled, cultural minorities and other vulnerable groups in peacebuilding spaces, whether in conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution or conflict transformation. There must be a commitment to continuously promote and increase their meaningful participation in all stages of decision-making in the peace-promoting policies, programmes and projects.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  34. Women’s existing vulnerabilities prior to conflict — such as a lack of education, poverty, discrimination, marginalization and non-recognition of rights — are hundredfold in times of conflict, with the occurrence of internal displacement and gender-based violence in emergencies. These vulnerabilities are further heightened during the pandemic because their physical, social and economic capacities to deal with their multiple roles and burdens as caregivers and breadwinners are further limited, stretched or weakened, and their access to social services is undermined by community quarantine restrictions. To address the impacts of armed conflict and COVID-19 on women and other vulnerable groups, there is a need to ensure the functioning of mechanisms that were established to empower, promote and mainstream women and gender equality.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  35. As such, it is important to catch up on the implementation of the peace agreements in order to continue the critical work of resolving long-standing issues of “unpeace” and address the causes of armed conflict. The impacts of COVID-19 are disproportionately felt by vulnerable groups in conflict situations, especially women. In conflict situations, the women and girls are mothers, sometimes of female-headed households as widows or single parents; daughters, including orphans; and sisters who are not just passive bystanders or only victims or targets. One will also find women combatants and non-combatants who are still members of armed groups, both State and non-State.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  36. COVID-19 prompted Governments to impose restrictions that affect economic activities in order to protect public health, while having to reassess needs and redouble efforts and human and financial resources to assist and support conflict-affected regions in bouncing back once such restrictions are loosened. Despite the onset of COVID-19, armed conflicts and violence persist. Clashes between Government forces and non-State armed groups and between clans still erupt, displacing populations and affecting civilians and livelihoods. With the setback in the implementation of peace agreements and communities beset with new and grave challenges caused by the pandemic, sentiments around neglect and grievances against the Government are stirred, paving fertile ground for violent extremism.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  37. Recognizing that initiative, the Secretary-General said that “upholding these commitments will be crucial to enabling an effective response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 crisis”, encouraging “both sides to build on this momentum and translate these expressions of goodwill into a lasting political solution”. The ceasefire demonstrated the Philippine Government’s commitment to the swift and unimpeded provision of public health assistance, especially the safe movement of health-care workers, to stricken communities in dire need of immediate medical care. To begin with, conflict-affected regions lag in development — economic, infrastructure, social, human and sustainable development.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source

  38. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis that has exposed the fragility of societies and in particular has threatened the gains already achieved in finding just and lasting peace in conflict- affected areas. Recognizing the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work to achieve peace, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its affiliates from 19 March to 15 April, days before the Secretary-General issued his appeal for a global ceasefire on 23 March.

    2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source