President Duterte addresses United Nations General Assembly

by Elton Gagni / September 23, 2020

On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered an address during the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2020.

COVID-19 Impact

PRRD defined the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the biggest test the world and the UN has faced since World War II. He echoed that the Philippines and many Filipino families grieve with the world as many lives have been claimed by this disease and gave honor to frontliners who are relentlessly fighting for the rest of humanity.

He raised the importance of having coordinated international plans and efforts to fight the invisible enemy. He also welcomed the launch of the UN COVID Response and Recovery Fund, as it ensures universal access to anti-COVID-19 technologies and products. While the race for vaccine development continues, PRRD expressed that it needs to be accessible and available to everyone, whether they’re rich or poor, as a matter of policy.

Joining the ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement, PRRD called on the World Health Organization for a global health agenda with enough resources and policy space for a quicker response to the health crisis.

Geopolitical Issues and OFWs

As the battle against COVID-19 continues, so do geopolitical issues and tensions. PRRD called on the stakeholders in the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula, and the Middle East and Africa to stop the hate as a real world war with nuclear weapons will only take a terrible toll on human life and property.

Speaking on behalf of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), PRRD shared that the Philippine government launched a repatriation program where half of more than 354,000 OFWs have yet to be brought back home. He also stressed the importance of stronger protection of migrant rights, regardless of their migrant status, by adhering to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Sustainability and Climate Change

Despite the country being in recession due to the pandemic, the Philippines remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. PRRD lobbied for more efforts to address the climate crisis to improve the quality of life, especially for developing countries, and strengthen the preparedness and resilience of communities.

Drugs, Criminality, and Terrorism

PRRD said that the country will continue to protect human rights against illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism. To strengthen this, an open dialogue and constructive engagement with the UN is needed, but with respect to the principles of objectivity, noninterference, non-selectivity, and genuine dialogue.

He recounted that the Marawi siege highlighted the importance of having a legal framework, which was integrated in the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act. The enactment of this law was done pursuant to his commitment and strict adherence to the Security Council resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. He also stressed his commitment to rebuilding stricken communities and address the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism.

PRRD said the country remains mindful of its obligations and commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and as amplified by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, as well as its commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. He also welcomed the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award.

PRRD dismissed the use of weapons, be it nuclear, chemical, or biological as they can cause mass destruction and reiterated the danger they pose should they fall in the hands of terrorists. Thus, he called on UN Member States to fully implement the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Chemical and the Biological Weapons Conventions. Locally, he asked the Philippine Senate to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Humanitarian Efforts and Peacekeeping

PPRD highlighted that the Philippines continues to honor its humanitarian obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. He also emphasized that helping the most vulnerable is a shared responsibility of all countries. He called for the end conflicts and conditions so people would no longer be forced to flee their homes.

Honoring their efforts, PRRD thanked the peacekeepers, including Filipinos, for advancing the cause of peace even in the most difficult situations. From the Golan Heights in the Middle East to Liberia in West Africa, he bannered that Filipino peacekeepers put themselves in the frontlines between the vulnerable and those who seek harm.

He also reiterated his commitment in increasing the Philippine footprint in UN peacekeeping operations with increased participation of women.

Closing his address, PRRD harped on the COVID-19 pandemic and the needed cooperation between nations to conquer it. He asked for everyone to have the same collective courage that pushed the creation of the United Nations 75 years ago. He called to act on recommendations to improve the Security Council’s composition and working methods, to strengthen the role of the General Assembly, and to streamline the processes and the operations of the UN.

“Indeed, to be ready for the new global normal, it cannot be business as usual for the UN. Let us empower [the] UN – reform it – to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Let us strengthen it so it can fully deliver its mandate to maintain peace and security, uphold justice and human rights, and promote freedom and social progress for all,” PRRD concluded.

To read the full transcript of PRRD’s address to the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, please visit this link.

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