MANILA, 13 July 2021--The two-day Philippine National Food Systems Dialogue opened today, with United Nations (UN) Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez emphasizing that "transforming food systems is necessary not only to attain the SDGs by 2030 but also the Philippines’ Ambisyon 2040." Gonzalez said, "The Summit is an opportunity to rethink the critical importance of food systems in the context of COVID-19 recovery, and to underscore the call for shared responsibility, collective actions and greater solidarity to ensure no one is left behind." In September 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene the global Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit intends to launch new actions and game changing solutions to transform food systems towards healthier, sustainable, more affordable, more resilient, less wasted and better-distributed food. In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is spearheading the National Food Systems Dialogue. Guided by the UNFSS five (5) Action Tracks, the National Food Systems Dialogue will serve as the convergence activity that will guide the crafting and development of the proposals, programs, partnerships and activities for the various key players in agriculture, policymaking, business, food aid, and indigenous communities. This event will apply the “whole-of-nation” approach, wherein a diversity of stakeholders, will be involved, including voices that are seldom heard, and provide an important opportunity for participants to debate, collaborate, and take action towards a better future. The message (as prepared) of Mr. Gonzalez is found below:  I would like to congratulate the Philippines for organizing this National Food Systems Dialogue in preparation for the global Food Systems Summit that UN Secretary-General António Guterres is convening in September this year. The Food Systems Summit has taken on a new significance in light of the global pandemic as a moment to reset and reconcile with nature and secure the wellbeing of people and our planet. The Summit is an opportunity to rethink the critical importance of food systems in the context of COVID-19 recovery, requires game changing initiatives and policies, and underscores the call for shared responsibility, collective actions and greater solidarity to ensure no one is left behind. Challenges With this in mind, I would like to briefly paint a picture and recall where we were even before COVID-19. Based on various UN studies: 144 million children were stunted; 820 million people were chronically food insecure, of which 135 million were in crisis levels or worse; yet, at the same time, 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption globally was being lost or wasted annually – a paradox that is truly unacceptable. Food systems contributed to 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions The increasing world population will require global food production to increase 1.1% increase annually COVID-19  significantly altered food accessibility worldwide, with daily food-related routines disrupted the most; and In general, the pandemic has adversely affected the progress towards achieving the SDGs by 2030. All these data point back to reasons for holding the Food Systems Summit: We need to collectively change the way we think about food systems and view them holistically at two levels: first, food systems activities interact closely with one another; second, food systems affect the welfare of the current and future generations, and as importantly, the welfare of our planet. Hard choices will often need to be made to balance the potential benefits and trade-offs at these two levels; hence attaining well-functioning and inclusive food systems will demand comprehensive, integrated responses and actions that require us to change our current thinking and behavior. From these country-level dialogues, we hope to see the contributions that national priorities and actions will have in the emerging areas of convergence for the global summit. The global conditions I referred to earlier apply to the Philippines. Allow me to highlight a few examples how food systems impacts the future of the Philippines: Stunting – As we just heard from Dr Dayanghirang, 1/3 of Filipino children are stunted, rates that rank in the top 10 worst globally - in part due to malnutrition caused by inadequate access to healthy food. Stunting will impact these children’s ability to get or complete their education, and to fully develop cognitively and physically, putting at risk the country’s expected demographic dividend in the coming years. Implementation of the National Food Policy, developed by the Inter-Agency Task for on Zero Hunger will play a key part in addressing stunting. Food insecurity – In 2020, moderate or severe prevalence of food insecurity in the Philippines stood at 62.1%, more than double the global rate of 25.5%. The situation is significantly worse for BARMM. Back in 2015, moderate or severe prevalence of food insecurity for the country was at 53.8%, while it was almost 80% for BARMM. A 2018 survey showed that nationally, 1/3 of households were unable to afford a “nutritious diet,” but non-affordability was much higher in BARMM at 58%. The BARMM’s Food Security and Nutrition Roadmap is a key tool for addressing this and other impediments to the Bangsamoro’s sustainable development. With the outbreak of the pandemic, like many other countries, food security of Philippines was affected significantly and Filipinos encountered significant challenges. In April 2021, 40% of households in Metro Manila surveyed by the UN experienced hunger or food insecurity. Though varying in degree, other areas in the country also face similar challenge following the loss of employment and livelihoods as a result of restriction measures taken to control the spread of the virus. Solutions To address the myriad of issues involving food systems, the five Action Tracks provide an integrated framework for prioritizing and selecting necessary actions. In the next two days, we hope to see the Philippines come to an even stronger agreement of what those actions will be. I would also like note that the Philippines already has a strong foundation of government initiatives and efforts which contribute to these Action Tracks, such as: The Department of Agriculture’s adopting “New Thinking for Agriculture” to change mindsets and introduce new durable approaches such as farm consolidation to promote economies of scale and increasing youth participation in agriculture to facilitate adoption of new and modern technologies. The recent National Food Systems Summit initiatives to enhance climate smart agriculture, promote digital agriculture, invest in provincial agriculture and fisheries, and update commodity industry road maps. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) initiative to strengthen community procurement by providing end-to-end support, from empowering and consolidating backyard agricultural production to providing market opportunities for nutritious food by linking them to government institutions such as day care centers, schools, and hospitals. Legislative efforts through bills already filed in each chamber of Congress to address hunger and ensure adequate food. The UN in the Philippines has already presented our evidence-driven recommendations for each of the five Action Tracks to the Department of Agriculture for consideration. Please allow me to highlight four common themes of these recommendations: One - Actions need to be holistic, multi-dimensional, transformative, and ambitious; not just to recover from COVID -19 but to regain ground lost on SDGs For example, diversification of crops, fisheries, other forms of agriculture, and rural livelihoods is needed to produce positive outcomes in health (by ensuring nutrition-sensitive produce), economic production (by building sustainable food chains), education (by improving the quality and quantity of school meals), and employment (by expanding livelihood opportunities). In addition, data driven and evidence-based decision-making coupled with system-wide co-creation as well as innovative solutions could create a food governance system where enabling states, social markets, and collective actions may thrive Two - Investments required are significant, not just from the government but need to leverage and incentivize greater private sector participation, as well as contributions from other stakeholders such as civil society, academe, development partners, and many others. For example, public investments in improved agricultural infrastructure and extension and adoption of cost-efficient soil conservation and management technologies must go hand in hand with private investments in future-proof and resilient food hubs, and improved processing technologies that prolong shelf lives of natural produce. Consumers contribute to improving food systems by changing their food consumption behaviours (such as choosing natural produce instead of highly processed food) while civil society organizations can actively support better food security and nutrition. Three - Efforts must deliberately promote human rights and equity, empower women and youth, increase access and active participation by, and affordability for, the most vulnerable and those most affected by national food systems For example, small holder farmers and fisherfolk must be empowered to engage in e-commerce to increase production and lower costs of distribution, while social protection programs for vulnerable groups should be leveraged to boost demand for strengthened nutrition sensitive food supply chains through access to safe and nutritious agricultural produce and price monitoring, plus producing locally appropriate complementary foods for young children and mothers. In addition, in our highly shock-prone country, promote national and local action to protect food supplies from the impacts of pandemics now and from any other shocks in the future.  This means  ensuring  that all people within a food system, including indigenous populations, are empowered to prepare for, withstand, and recover from shocks  – both natural and man-made, allowing us to leave no one behind by delivering food security, nutrition, and equitable livelihoods for all. Four - Actions should contribute to solving the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution For example, new efforts must scale-up sustainable upland development that restores soil health, adopt eco-efficient water practices and production techniques that control discharge of pollutants, ensure access to safe foods, provide targeted communications on social behavioral change for responsible consumption, shore up food safety strategies, and promote local food production to minimize food waste and loss. In closing, I would like to reiterate the importance of the National Food Systems Dialogue as it will lead to a blueprint for the Philippines’ pathway to food systems sustainability and will serve as the country’s contribution to the areas of convergence that are already emerging for the Global Food Systems Summit. I would like to reassure you of the continued support of the whole UN in the Philippines for the country’s food systems and other development priorities as we actively implement the Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework for COVID-19 Recovery for the Philippines. Finally, I would like to reaffirm today’s dialogue as a call to joint action. Transforming food systems is necessary not only to attain the SDGs by 2030 but also the Philippines’ Ambisyon 2040. As Agriculture Secretary Dar mentioned in his invitation, this requires a “whole of nation” approach. I would add that the country’s agreed roadmap and long-term commitment that will emerge from this dialogue extends beyond administrative boundaries, societal factions, and political cycles, and can only be sustained through joint and collective effort of all stakeholders involved. Thank you and have a good day.

MANILA, 8 July 2021 - The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday signifying partnership under the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (CT Travel) Programme. The MoU will allow the United Nations to assist the country to enhance its capabilities to detect the travel of terrorists and serious criminals by collecting and analyzing passenger data, in compliance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, international standards and human rights principles. Through an ‘All-of-UN’ partnership with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the UNOCT-led Programme provides comprehensive, yet tailored assistance to beneficiary Member States. The Republic of the Philippines is one of 42 beneficiary Member States that have joined the CT Travel Programme since its launch in May 2019. The signing of the MoU took place during a virtual ceremony between the Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT, Vladimir Voronkov, and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations, Ambassador Enrique Austria Manalo. The ceremony was also attended by representatives from Australia and the European Union. “Today’s Memorandum of Understanding is a symbol of the solid partnership and mutual commitment between the Republic of the Philippines and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism for the implementation of the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme in the Philippines. Implemented together with our programming partners, CTED, UNODC, ICAO, OICT and INTERPOL, our flagship Countering Terrorist Travel Programme will help enhance the capabilities of the Philippines to detect and interdict known and suspected terrorists using passenger data, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2396 and 2482, international standards, and human rights principles. Critically, this will allow the United Nations to assist the Philippines to identify and address evolving terrorist and criminal threats within both the air and maritime environments,” Voronkov said. “With the establishment of this strategic partnership between the United Nations and the Philippines through this Memorandum of Understanding, setting the framework for closer cooperation and regular consultations among Philippine authorities and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and the support of our key partners, the Philippines will be in a better position to implement its roadmap to build its detection capacities and to contribute to the global effort to counter terrorist travel,” Ambassador Manalo stated. UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said, "Through applying a comprehensive approach, the Countering Terrorist Travel Programme has the potential to prevent acts of terrorism. This, in itself, is an important human rights objective. The programme emphasizes that all counter-terrorism measures must comply with obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law." Building stronger partnerships to support Member States’ efforts to prevent and counter terrorism is one of the top priorities of UNOCT. The CT Travel Programme, a flagship global initiative of UNOCT, aims to assist beneficiary Member States in building such capabilities to detect and intercept terrorists and serious criminals by using both advance passenger information (API) and passenger name record (PNR) data within the air and maritime domains, and cross-checking that data against INTERPOL and other international and national databases of known and suspected terrorists and criminals. The Programme also enhances international information exchange, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017) and 2482 (2019), international standards, relevant privacy laws, and human rights principles. As a beneficiary of the CT Travel Programme, the Republic of the Philippines is being supported across four key pillars of work, namely: The development of necessary legislative frameworks regulating the collection, transmission, use, retention and sharing of passenger data, in compliance with internationally recognized standards and human rights principles; The institutional set-up and development of operational capacity of The Philippines’s detection centre, also known as a Passenger Information Unit; Engagement and cooperation with the transport industry to ensure technical connectivity; and Technical support, including the licensing and deployment of the United Nations’ specialized ‘goTravel’ software system. "The UN values its continued dialogue with the Government of Philippines in this regard, and looks forward to continued engagement to ensure that a solid and holistic framework is in place for the human rights-based, effective and coordinated implementation of programs preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism," Gonzalez said. The CT Travel Programme is funded by generous contributions from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the European Union, the United States of America, the State of Qatar, Australia, Germany, Japan, the Republic of India, and with in-kind support from Hungary. #### For more information Visit un.org/cttravel; follow on Twitter (@UN_OCT) or contact: gerardl@un.org

MANILA, 29 June 2021—Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar conveyed the PNP’s “full commitment” to the United Nations (UN) Joint Programme on Human Rights, which aims to promote a human rights-based approach to combatting terrorism and illegal drugs.   “This UN joint programme is a critical milestone,” said UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez. “This is the first ever UN joint programme on human rights in the Philippines, where we put together the capacities and resoruces of the UN in support of a wide range of national institutions. And the PNP is a central partner in this undertaking.”  The UN joint programme is in line with Human Rights Council Resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the Philippines to engage actively with the international community to address human rights challenges facing the country. It calls for technical cooperation and capacity-building for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.   At a meeting with Gonzalez, Eleazar said that “he appreciates the UN’s commitment to cooperate with the Government of the Philippines”.   He added that “the PNP has opened its office to any queries on human rights from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and that the PNP is committed to give its full support to the joint programme.”  Aside from the PNP, the UN joint programme is being co-implemented by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Presidential Human Rights Committee, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Civil Society Organizations as well as the Academia will also be core partners in the implementation of the programme. Four UN agencies, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNOHCHR), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are part of the technical cooperation.   The UN joint programme will strengthen cooperation between the Government and non-government organizations, in order to protect civic space. It will also reinforce the Government’s engagement with international human rights mechanisms.   The UN joint programme will support the Government’s efforts to combat terrorism, applying a human rights-based approach, and supporting the CHR in monitoring compliance in the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. At the same time, it will apply a human rights-based approach in combatting illegal drugs, including through alternatives to detention, alleviating prison overcrowding and long pre-trial detention.   “Now is the time to reset, to rebuild and recover better, guided by a strong commitment to human rights," said Gonzalez. "The new UN joint programme is expected to contribute to such national endeavour.” 

As the world grapples unevenly with the effects of COVID-19, a parallel and equally horrific pandemic has threatened half the world’s population. In the early months of the pandemic, the United Nations projected that quarantines and lockdowns could lead to a shocking 15 million additional cases of gender-based violence every three months. Sadly, those predictions appear to be coming true. This week, world leaders and others will gather at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris and online in a massive push for gender equality. At that meeting, I will call on states, companies and individuals to join in a global initiative, with proven results, to end the fear and insecurity that threaten the health, rights, dignity and lives of so many women and girls. From domestic violence to sexual exploitation, trafficking, child marriage, female genital mutilation and online harassment, violent misogyny has thrived in the shadow of the pandemic. Full data will take time to collect and assess, but the trends are clear. In twelve countries tracked by the United Nations, the number of cases of violence against women and girls reported to various institutions increased 83 per cent from 2019 to 2020, and cases reported to the police grew by 64 per cent. The pervasiveness of violence against women and girls has led to acquiescence that it is somehow inevitable or impossible to end. This is as outrageous and self-defeating as it is plain wrong. In the first months of the pandemic, calls to helplines increased by an average of 60 per cent across the European Union. Calls to Peru’s sexual violence hotline almost doubled in 2020 compared to 2019. In Thailand, the number of clients visiting domestic violence crisis units in hospitals in April 2020 was more than double the number from the same time period of the previous year. Such statistics and stories span the world, adding to an existing epidemic of violence against women and girls. Before the pandemic, the World Health Organization estimated that one in three women would experience male violence in their lifetime. Just over a year ago, I raised the alarm. Echoing my call for a global ceasefire, I appealed for peace in the home -- an end to all violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes -- to allow us to face the pandemic, humankind’s common enemy, with solidarity and unity. More than 140 countries expressed support. Some 800 measures have been adopted in 149 countries, the majority focused on shelter, legal assistance and other services and support. But, in many cases, these actions have been limited and short lived. Worse, other countries are retreating, rolling back legal protections and standing by as violence is used to target women, including human rights defenders protesting these reversals. The pervasiveness of violence against women and girls has led to acquiescence that it is somehow inevitable or impossible to end. This is as outrageous and self-defeating as it is plain wrong. Despite the challenges of the past year, the United Nations, with significant funding from and partnership with the European Union, has demonstrated that change is possible. Over the course of 2020, the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls has delivered notable results in 25 countries. Eighty-four laws and policies to protect women and girls were adopted or strengthened. Prosecution of perpetrators increased 22 per cent. Some 650,000 women and girls received services despite lockdowns and mobility restrictions. Close to 900,000 men and boys -- including traditional leaders, heads of religious institutions, male taxi drivers and young gamers -- were engaged to be allies in finding solutions. And across these countries, national budget allocations for preventing and responding to violence against women and girls increased by 32 per cent, a clear indication of future sustainability. By coming together, in Paris, around a proven model, we can begin to ensure that the next generation of girls will not be expected to live with fear simply because we didn’t act. In time, there will be many lessons learned about what the world got right and wrong in handling this pandemic. One of the first must be to ensure that this disgraceful hidden pandemic facing half our population ends now.