Malacañan Palace
05 December 2012

President Benigno S. Aquino III officially welcomed Ms. Luiza Carvalho, United Nations Resident Coordinator, in a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace.

Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert Del Rosario and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan were also present during the call.

In a press release by the UN in the Philippines on 3 December 2012, the UN and NEDA launched a series of consultations leading to a Philippine position on what constitutes a framework for a post-2015 development agenda in anticipation of the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Philippines is one of 50 countries chosen by the UN for the consultative process which requires that voices of the poor, marginalized, vulnerable and civil society are heard.  This will be the country’s contribution to the global development agenda that is expected to build on the gains and lessons learned from the MDGs.

The Philippines is a signatory to the 2000 Millennium Declaration that rolled out the time-bound MDGs as a global agenda for development by 2015.  The eight MDGs are – halve extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; gender equality; reduce child mortality; improved maternal health; stop and reverse the spread of TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS; environmental sustainability and global partnerships for aid, trade and debt relief.