President’s Hall, Malacañan Palace
October 24, 2023
“Beyond building better from the pandemic and for resilient communities, the world needs a transformative agenda to bridge divides, address inequalities and foster growth that carries everyone forward,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. conveyed as he witnessed the signing of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2024-2028 at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace.
As one of the founding members, the President expressed the Philippines’ strong support for the UN as a beacon of multilateral approaches in making lasting peace and progress a reality for all peoples and nations.
“We look forward to vigorous engagements on key issues that bear on the future of our communities, including food security, health, education, climate action, decent work, digital transformation and disaster risk reduction,” he said.
President Marcos Jr. highlighted the UNSDCF 2024-2028 as the ‘first of its kind’ under the reformed UN Development System that can provide solutions and have a far-reaching impact while yielding good models of co-ownership, transparency and accountability.
“The UNSDCF brings with it not only the legacies of the Philippines’ constructive and long-standing engagement with the UN. It also signifies our role in shaping more inclusive and effective multilateral institutions that embrace and bring tangible benefits to all,” he stated.
The Chief Executive also noted the UN’s recognition of the peacebuilding milestones in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which offered valuable insights for peacemaking across the world.
Likewise, he stressed that the country’s advocacies in the Indo-Pacific region and the global arena for the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes provide opportunities for a more substantive engagement with the UN. “I look forward to hearing many more success stories of Philippines-UN partnership under our new Cooperation Framework,” the President concluded in his speech.
The UNSDCF 2024-2028 was signed by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Mr. Gustavo González as the Resident Coordinator of the UN to the Philippines.
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