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16 December 2022
UN Philippines chief puts spotlight on environment at Stockhom+50 event in Manila
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16 December 2022
UN Philippines peacebuilding programme scores gains in achieving peace in the Bangsamoro
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Story
15 December 2022
UN Philippines chief calls for gender responsive recruitment and reintegration in migration governance
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Philippines
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in the Philippines.
Data in this section is currently being updated and under review.
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06 April 2021
The United Nations in the Philipines - Get information on Resident Agencies in the country
The UN Country Team (UNCT) in the Philippines consists of eleven resident funds, programmes, and specialized agencies (FAO, IFAD, ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, WFP, and WHO), six project offices (UNAIDS, UNESCO, UN Habitat, UNODC, UNOPS, UN Women), and three secretariat offices (OCHA, UNIC and UNDSS). Standing invitees are ADB, IMF, and the World Bank. The UN assists and supports the Government of the Philippines in its important development, peacebuilding and humanitarian priorities.
Check out their websites for more information:
FAO
ILO
IOM
OCHA
UN-Habitat
UNAIDS
UNDP
UNFPA
UNHCR
UNICEF
UNIDO
UNOPS
WFP
WHO
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08 May 2020
A coordinated response to coronavirus
See how UN resident agencies in the Philippines are responding to COVID-19
FAO
ILO
IOM
OCHA
UN-Habitat
UNAIDS
UNDP
UNFPA
UNHCR
UNICEF
UNIDO
UNOPS
WFP
WHO
The global UN response to COVID-19
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the coronavirus (COVID-19) viral disease a pandemic, but it is a pandemic that can be controlled. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who heads the UN agency, said, in his statement, “Let me be clear: describing this as a pandemic does not mean that countries should give up.”
The UN Secretary-General urged all countries to take a comprehensive approach tailored to their circumstances – with containment as the central pillar. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting thousands of people, impacting countries’ health systems and having widespread social and economic effects. The UN entities working on development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, are supporting countries in their preparedness and response plans.
This page convenes sources of information and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) regarding the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to track the spread and to provide guidance to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
Response and Recovery Fund
“COVID-19 is the greatest test that we have faced together since the formation of the United Nations,” said Secretary-General António Guterres. “This human crisis demands coordinated, decisive, inclusive and innovative policy action from the world’s leading economies –and maximum financial and technical support for the poorest and most vulnerable people and countries.”
The United Nations system—and its global network of regional, sub-regional and country offices working for peace, human rights, sustainable development and humanitarian action, will support all governments and partners through the response and recovery.
To that end, the Secretary-General has established a dedicated COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to support efforts in low- and middle-income countries. Its approach underpins the reformed UN with a coordinated multi-agency, multi-sectoral response for priority national and local actions to address the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. It will count on the country leadership of Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in swiftly supporting and enabling governments in this crisis, and recovery.To view the latest updates, facts and figures, please visit the UN COVID-19 Multi-Partner Trust Fund Portal.
To stay up to date with the latest information, please visit:
WHO's coronavirus portal
WHO's guidance for countries
UN's coronavirus portal
Latest news on the UN's response
Frequently asked questions
How to protect yourself
Coronavirus situation dashboard
Philippines situation reports
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16 December 2022
UN Philippines peacebuilding programme scores gains in achieving peace in the Bangsamoro
DAVAO CITY, 16 December 2022—A United Nations (UN) Philippines peacebuilding joint programme in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) marked its completion with results that have significantly contributed to Normalization under the peace agreement as well as inclusive peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro region.
Implemented for two years by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women, with support from the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, the joint programme called Supporting Conflict Transformation Toward Effective Peace-building in the Bangsamoro Region (STEP-BARMM) focused on harnessing the potential of women, indigenous communities and youth, strengthening capacities of key regional and local institutions to respond to conflict during the BARMM’s transition period and building evidence to better understand the evolving dynamics of conflict in the region.
Specifically, the programme empowered 2000 former women combatants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Women’s Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB) to successfully transition to civilian life as successful entrepreneurs, para-social workers with the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) and peace and gender champions in their communities via support to 15 BIWAB cooperatives generating sustainable livelihoods, and training on Gender-based Violence and peacebuilding. This is a key objective of the peace agreement’s Normalization track.
See how STEP-BARMM has supported women former combatants with socioeconomic activities
STEP-BARMM mainstreamed conflict understanding and prevention in BARMM institutions. It worked with the Bangsamoro Women’s Commission to operationalize and localize the Regional Action Plan on Women Peace and Security in 22 local government units (LGUs) and supported the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) in developing the BYC Youth Policy Manual to engage youth in shaping future peace and development initiatives.
Furthermore, STEP-BARMM helped to establish the Peace, Security, and Reconciliation Office under the Office of the BARMM Chief Minister to reinforce security and conflict mediation under the transition.
At the same time, STEP-BARMM has fostered community resilience in conflict hotspots by strengthening community policing and establishing or reviving local institutions as inclusive platforms with community partners, non-Moro Indigenous Peoples community groups, and women conflict mediators to address increasingly inter-linked conflict and climate security risks requiring humanitarian-development-peacebuilding approaches.
“STEP BARMM has indeed provided an effective platform for stakeholders to come together and fostered synergies and partnerships that will contribute to the creation of a more inclusive platform for peacebuilding in BARMM,” said Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA).
“In order to sustain these important peacebuilding milestones, I emphasize the importance of strong partnership and collaboration between government and non-government stakeholders, as well as a whole-of-government/whole-of-society effort,” Ali added.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez said, “Through the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the UN agencies have truly come together with government, civil society and communities to leverage our collective strength to support the Bangsamoro in the pursuit of peace as demonstrated by these achievements.”
The UN Philippines, guided by its Cooperation Framework with the Philippines, called the Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework (SEPF), is committed to supporting normalization in the Bangsamoro region, reducing community-based conflicts, addressing community security and strengthening community economic empowerment.
Tristan Burnett, Chief of Mission of IOM Philippines, said, “The culmination of STEP-BARMM is an occasion to celebrate the achievements of this important initiative, present the policy results and most importantly identify ways forward with our BARMM partners. We are extremely thankful to have spent the last few days with our partners and stakeholders that have played a critical role in achieving the objective and deliverables of the project which has been supported by the UN Secretary General’s Peace-building Fund.”
Meanwhile, Dr Leila Joudane, UNFPA Country Representative in the Philippines, “congratulated the joint programme partners “for the achievements made during the two-year implementation of this STEP-BARMM Project and we will together build on the gains from this joint programme. Let us continue the advocacy to translate the policy recommendations into gender-responsive and locally-inclusive legislations, policies and programs with the meaningful participation of empowered women and young people.”
Ma. Rosalyn Messina, Country Programme Coordinator of UN Women. said that the joint programme “showcased what we can all do together to promote peace and transform communities we serve, especially our women.”
At the end of implementation of STEP-BARMM, the UN Philippines recommends, among others, improvements in the representation, inclusion and meaningful participation of women in BARMM institutions such as the parliament, ministries/offices and other local special bodies; securing the rights and well-being of non-Moro Indigenous Peoples through policy development and implementation, improving access to education and fast-tracking the passage of the Indigenous People Code to address the important ancestral domain issue inter alia; capacity-building for barangays’ disaster response capacities, particularly through the provision of more training, provision of livelihood support and addressing local security issues.
“As the Bangsamoro government's socioeconomic development planning and policy coordination authority, the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority is already taking proactive steps to ensure that key concerns on inclusivity and meaningful participation of all sectors are taken into account as we chart the Bangsamoro region’s medium-term development plan- the 2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan,” Ali said.
STEP-BARMM was designed to meet the difficulties posed by COVID-19, which directly challenged the peace and stability of the Bangsamoro region. The pandemic strained efforts to reintegrate former combatants, driving up competition for scarce resources in localities with historical tension and shifting institutional focus away from building inclusive policies during the formative stage of the peace process.
The UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the organization’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict. [Ends]
For more information, contact:
UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Office: Teresa L. Debuque, debuque@un.org
IOM: Itayi Viriri, IOM Regional Spokesperson, iviriri@iom.int
UNFPA: Rochelle Angela Yu, royu@unfpa.org
UN Women: Ma. Rosalyn Mesina, rosalyn.mesina@unwomen.org
BARMM: Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority, bpda@bangsamoro.gov.ph
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16 December 2022
UN Philippines chief puts spotlight on environment at Stockhom+50 event in Manila
United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez delivered the following message at the Stockholm+50 Culminating Event on 16 December 2022:
H.E. Annika Gunilla Thunborg, Ambassador, Embassy of Sweden
Atty. Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs, DENR
My colleagues from the UN Country Team
Partners from government present here and those joining online
Good morning to all of you.
I am very pleased to join you in this culmination of the celebration of the 50 years since the UN Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm in 1972. We have certainly come a long way since the multilateral community, including the Philippines, first came together and put a spotlight on the environment as a shared global concern.
More than celebrating successes, Stockholm+50 was an important opportunity to reflect on where we are now and where we may be headed if we don’t take corrective actions. The world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We face a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Each year, the climate emergency is killing and displacing ever more people. Ecosystems degradation is escalating the loss of biodiversity and compromising the well-being not only of the people here now but also of our next generation. There is the ever-growing challenge of pollution and waste. Stockholm+50 was therefore a very timely event that brought the global community together to renew commitments, energize action, and find practical initiatives to change course.
I understand that Stockholm+50 held last June 2022 identified new ideas, new models of engagement, and new approaches to environmental governance. I am pleased to note that the Philippines played a very active role in before, during, and after the event through the conduct of multiple stakeholder consultations supported by the United Nations to prepare inputs, and the participation of the Philippine delegation in shaping the Stockholm+50 agenda, and here now to take forward the country’s commitment and translate these into concrete action.
An important recommendation for action from Stockholm+50 was a call to strengthen national implementation of existing commitments for a healthy planet. This can be achieved by: (1) enhancing environmental national legislation, budget, planning processes and institutional frameworks; (2) promoting evidence-based policymaking, including by enhanced collaboration between academic disciplines and thematic scientific panels, drawing on insights and expertise from indigenous and traditional knowledge; and (3) scaling-up capacity support and development, access to, and financing for environmentally sound technologies.
To a certain extent, the UN system in the Philippines has already been assisting the government in these three areas through the implementation of the UN Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework for COVID-19 Recovery in the Philippines 2020-2023. A few examples of our past work include: (1) supporting the preparation of policies and amended legislation for the conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity in traditional agro-ecosystems; (2) assessing past adaptation activities to provide a guide for future short and long term adaptation measures for agriculture and fisheries; and (3) promoting the adoption of renewable energy in underserved remote communities.
Looking ahead, the UN now has a great window of opportunity to come together and coordinate our support to assist the government move forward the Stockholm +50 agenda. We are currently in the middle of the process of developing a new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2024 to 2028. This new cooperation framework to be agreed with the government will serve as our shared blueprint for the UN’s support for the next five years that will be closely aligned with the new Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. I therefore urge you to participate and engage with the UN in this process so that we can ensure our support to the government on addressing the country’s significant environmental challenges are fully aligned with the Stockholm+50 agenda.
I would like to end by reaffirming the UN’s strong commitment to the Philippines and working with all of you to protect our planet, to recover sustainably from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure that the most vulnerable – such as the youth, women, and Indigenous Peoples – are part of our collective decision-making to achieve a healthy planet for the prosperity of all. [Ends]
Thank you.
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15 December 2022
UN Philippines chief lauds gains of UN Peacebuilding Fund supported programme in the Bangsamoro
United Nations (UN) Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez delivered the following message (as prepared) at the Multi-stakeholder Policy Forum on the UN Peacebuilding Fund Joint Programme:
It is my great privilege to close this very important dialogue and session to determine the best practices from the critical contributions of this Peacebuilding Fund Joint Project over the past two years.
The United Nations has provided targeted support to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the drive towards critical peace objectives during this momentous and delicate point in the history of the region. With the government managing the transition of the region, all whilst responding to COVID-19, it was critical that the international community and government authorities came together to support the vulnerable segments of society that were at risk of being left behind, particularly women, youth and non-Moro indigenous people. This Policy Forum was the culmination of the collective work of the vibrant Bangsamoro Civil Society, our dedicated UN implementing agencies, of our government representative and technical offices in the BARMM, and, of course, of our community partners. You have all been steadfastly driving the BARMM towards inclusion, moral governance and sustainable peace. For this I commend you all.
However, we come together at a critical time for the BARMM. A time where we are working together to repair the damages that have befallen the region over many decades of struggle. Over the past two years, the region has continued to suffer both large and small-scale displacement as a result of conflict and climate change. In 2021, we saw tens of thousands of community members displaced by active conflict in Maguindanao. More recently, we saw these same communities affected and displaced by the severe flooding from TS Paeng. In Marawi City, we still have over 17,000 families in a state of displacement as a result of the Marawi Siege. The cycle of conflict and displacement is one where understanding the drivers and the possibilities for durable solutions is key to sustainable peace and development. This understanding starts with events like these where we can build on the best practices of our collective work and develop common objectives for the future.
This project has made many fine achievements, with so much owed to all of your dedication and hard work.
This Joint Programme was part of a broader support and commitment from the UN system towards conflict transformation and peacebuilding. IOM, UNFPA and UN Women have been jointly implementing the STEP-BARMM joint project - which has not only been supporting the implementation of the peace agreement but also on building resilience of communities and groups affected by decades of conflict.
The STEP-BARMM project has supported 15 cooperatives from the Bangsamoro Islamic Women’s Auxiliary Brigade with sustainable livelihoods ranging from bakeries to scrap metal workshops.
The project also supported the BIWAB women as they raised awareness on Gender-based Violence and even became Para-Social Workers under the Ministry of Social Services and Development.
This project also worked hand-in-hand with the Bangsamoro Women’s Commission to operationalize and localize the Regional Action Plan on Women Peace and Security for LGUs, as well as with the Bangsamoro Youth Commision to develop a policy manual to shape future peacebuilding intiatives.
Another lasting achievement of your work and advocacy is the establishment of the Peace, Security, and Reconciliation Office under the Office of the Chief Minister. This is a fantastic demonstration of a sustainable commitment to peace and development.
Finally, but not least of all, the project has had committed community partners who have helped us strengthen community policing, responsive Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples community groups, and women conflict mediators in hotspots who were recently featured as examples of “superwomen peacebuilders” from the Philippines in international media covering the launch of the ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Regional Action Plan. Your continued work to mitigate conflict and protect our communities is an inspiration for all.
Through the UN Peacebuilding Fund, the UN agencies have truly come together with government, civil society and communities to leverage our collective strength to support the Bangsamoro in the pursuit of peace as demonstrated by these achievements.
While these results are uplifting, it is critical that we continue to work together towards peace and development. We need to intensify our efforts towards inclusion ahead of the 2025 exit agreement and the BARMM’s parliamentary elections.
Thank you very much for all your hard work and commitments to peace. I continue to be your biggest advocate and supporter.
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15 December 2022
UN Philippines chief calls for gender responsive recruitment and reintegration in migration governance
United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez delivered the following message for the high-level forum on Gender-responsive and Sustainable Recruitment and Reintegration in Philippine Migration Governance, on 14 December 2022:
Thank you for joining us in this High-level Forum on Gender-responsive and Sustainable Recruitment and Reintegration in Philippine Migration Governance.
This is the culmination of a series of forums organized by the Bridging Recruitment to Reintegration in Migration Governance Programme, or BRIDGE, in partnership with UP-CIFAL Philippines to bring together the wealth of knowledge and experience of diverse migration actors on issues surrounding gender and labor migration in the Philippine context.
The BRIDGE Programme is a joint programme implemented together by UN Women, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) with support from the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), to help the Philippine public sector, civil society, and industry implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM).
In particular, it aims to support the Philippines, a GCM champion country, in delivering in a gender-responsive manner on Objectives 6 and 21 of the Compact, on fair and ethical recruitment, decent work, dignified return, and sustainable reintegration.
The Philippines is a global outlier in that it has more women than men working overseas. The 2021 Survey on Overseas Filipinos released earlier this month found that 60.2 percent of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were women, a further deepening of the trend that scholars have called the ‘feminization’ of Philippine labor migration.
Whether we celebrate this trend or worry about it is a difficult question. On the one hand, human mobility for employment can be an empowering experience, and the fact that this option is available to women is worth celebrating. On the other hand, women migrant workers continue to be concentrated in precarious jobs, with the same survey showing that 64.8 percent of women OFWs were in elementary jobs, such as domestic work.
Meanwhile, the global labor migration landscape is still reeling from the impact of COVID-19. More than a million OFWs have returned since the start of the pandemic. A survey by the Scalabrini Migration Center commissioned by IOM as part of BRIDGE estimates that around 59 percent of them intend to remigrate, and around 4 percent have already been able to do so. That means hundreds of thousands more are looking for ways to return abroad for work.
These returnees as well as would be OFWs face a global labor migration landscape in flux amid digital transformation and the climate crisis. Digital technologies are changing many industries, automating many jobs. The climate crisis and the need to decarbonize industries presents its own challenges in terms of ensuring a just transition, as many extractive and high-emissions industries employ migrant workers.
Women stand to face heightened disadvantage as the jobs of the future will require significant IT and technical skills. Male OFWs are 10 times more likely than female OFWs to occupy technical jobs such as technicians, plant and machine operators and assemblers, according to the survey.
This is why the BRIDGE Programme has incorporated digital skills training in its reintegration interventions, partnering with Connected Women to train more than 60 OFWs and OFW returnees in digital annotation. It also partnered with ATIKHA Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative to train 30 OFWs and OFW family members in Iloilo in agroforestry, recognizing the need for more regenerative economic models to address our environmental predicament.
Today, we will hear how other migration agencies and actors are tackling the diverse challenges in the labor migration space. Importantly, we will also hear from an OFW returnee, who will share about her own reintegration project, which simultaneously addresses the issue of food security.
I would like to thank Dr Edna Co and her team in UP-CIFAL Philippines for enabling this vital conversation to take place by organizing the dialogue in partnership with the BRIDGE Programme.
In closing, I wish to greet our OFWs and other Filipino migrants an advance Happy International Migrants’ Day. We hope our collective efforts help you to navigate your migration journeys toward the “matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay” you, along with your fellow Filipinos, long for. Salamat at mabuhay!
Watch the video message
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10 December 2022
Eight countries and the EU pledge P220M to support the UN programme on human rights
MANILA, 9 December 2022—Eight countries and the European Union (EU) confirmed financial support for the United Nations (UN) Joint Programme on Human Rights in the presence of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez.
The eight countries that are contributing to the UN joint programme are Australia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland. Their combined contribution amounts to about PhP220 million, which represents a catalytic support of the international community to human rights in the country.
The joint programme was signed by the Philippines and the UN on 22 July 2021. The three-year UN joint programme was developed to implement Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which outlined specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.
Gonzalez said, “On behalf of the UN Country Team in the Philippines, I would like to thank our development partners for being part of this joint programme that is the first and only one of its kind anywhere in the world.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that at the core of the UN joint programme is inclusivity because “it brings together the government, the UN, international partners, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and civil society.”
Meanwhile Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla said that “the DOJ’s work in the context of the UN joint programme is not new but a reiteration and reaffirmation of its commitment to constant self-improvement in the area of strengthening of domestic mechanisms and processes relating to the rule of law, accountability, and human rights.”
Through the joint programme, the UN in the Philippines will engage in capacity-building and technical cooperation in six areas, namely, strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms; data gathering on alleged police violations; civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control.
This year’s Human Rights Day, on 10 December, marks the start of a year-long initiative to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2023. In emphasizing partnerships, the UN Joint Programme on Human Rights seeks to strengthen engagement with a wide range of partners.
Gonzalez said, "International experience shows that human rights protection is always a collective investment. The UN Joint Programme on Human Rights offers the space for such valuable investment where the Government, the Commission on Human Rights, civil society organizations, the UN and resource partners engage with a common sense of purpose: enhancing human rights capacities and accountability.”
In addition to the DoJ and the DFA, the UN joint programme is being co-implemented by the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Department of Health (DOH), the Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center (ATC-PMC), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as well as the academe are also core partners in the implementation of the programme.
UN entities involved in the programme - the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT); and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – will work with the Government, civil society, and development partners drawing on expertise and best practices to apply human rights-based approaches in these areas. [Ends]
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Press Release
06 December 2022
European Union-Philippines Trade Conference highlights the need of going green for small businesses
MANILA, 6 December--As part of the EU-DTI Arise Plus Philippines project, the first European Union (EU)-Philippines Conference on green transition and trade was held in Manila during the ongoing National Exporters’ Week.
Under the theme, ‘The Green Transition: Opportunities and Challenges for Philippine MSMEs’, the discussions at the conference highlighted the importance and impact of ‘going green' for Philippine micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) exporting to the EU.
International and national experts and practitioners raised awareness on the new agenda for sustainable growth of the EU, also called the ‘Green Deal’ during various sessions.
The event provided an introduction to the circular economy, deforestation-free products and carbon adjustment. Discussions focussed on the opportunities and challenges this Green agenda entails for Philippine exporters and MSMEs.
“Having this “Green Deal” session is an opportunity for the Philippine MSMEs to be informed of the importance of sustainable production in enabling them to access more diverse and high-value markets, especially the EU,” DTI-Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda said.
Philipp Dupuis, Minister Counsellor, Head of the Economic and Trade Section, Delegation of the EU to the Philippines speaking on the occasion, said : “Conferences like the one today are essential to inform exporters in our partner countries about what the Green Deal is and how it can affect the requirements of their EU business partners have towards them”.
Rajesh Aggarwal, Director Division of Market Development, International Trade Centre, ARISE’s main implementer, said: “This conference will pave the way for enabling Philippine SMEs to become export competitive and make their mark in international trade. We are grateful to be part of this initiative from the EU and DTI”
As part of the efforts to mainstream and support women entrepreneurs, the event also officialised the institutionalization of the ITC-DTI SheTrades Hub in the Philippines.
“With the institutionalization of the SheTrades Philippines Hub, the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau will work with ITC to further strengthen our country’s efforts in promoting women’s economic empowerment and lower or eliminate the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, at home and internationally, to foster a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” DTI- TPG Assistant Secretary Peñaranda added.
About Arise Plus Philippines
With an allocation of 5.8 million euro, the European Union-funded ARISE Plus Philippines helps Philippine exporters take advantage of EU market access and of the trade privileges granted under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP+). ARISE promotes awareness of new trade opportunities in the private sector in the Philippines, but also helps local MSMEs upgrade their production processes to meet international quality standards. In this way, the project supports the overall EU-Philippines trade relationship and trade-related policies by improving trade performance of the Philippines and fostering inclusive economic growth.
ARISE Plus Philippines is a project of the EU and the Government of the Philippines, with the Department of Trade and Industry as the lead partner. Other government agencies involved are the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Customs and the Department of Science and Technology. The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the technical agency supporting the project’s implementation.
About National Exporters’ Week (NEW)
The National Exporters’ Week is an annual event led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), in partnership with the Export Development Council (EDC) and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT). Presidential Proclamation 931, series of 1996 and House Resolution No.33 declared the first week of December as the Exporters’ Week in order to obtain total commitment of the government and the private sector to continuously work together to sustain export promotion and development.
Media contacts:
EU Delegation:
Thelma Gecolea
Thelma.gecolea@eeas.europa.eu
International Trade Centre:
Waqas Rafique
wrafique@intracen.org
Department of Trade and Industry:
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau
Kristina Noelle Andaya
kristinanoelleandaya@dti.gov.ph
Under the theme, ‘The Green Transition: Opportunities and Challenges for Philippine MSMEs’, the discussions at the conference highlighted the importance and impact of ‘going green' for Philippine micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) exporting to the EU.
International and national experts and practitioners raised awareness on the new agenda for sustainable growth of the EU, also called the ‘Green Deal’ during various sessions.
The event provided an introduction to the circular economy, deforestation-free products and carbon adjustment. Discussions focussed on the opportunities and challenges this Green agenda entails for Philippine exporters and MSMEs.
“Having this “Green Deal” session is an opportunity for the Philippine MSMEs to be informed of the importance of sustainable production in enabling them to access more diverse and high-value markets, especially the EU,” DTI-Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda said.
Philipp Dupuis, Minister Counsellor, Head of the Economic and Trade Section, Delegation of the EU to the Philippines speaking on the occasion, said : “Conferences like the one today are essential to inform exporters in our partner countries about what the Green Deal is and how it can affect the requirements of their EU business partners have towards them”.
Rajesh Aggarwal, Director Division of Market Development, International Trade Centre, ARISE’s main implementer, said: “This conference will pave the way for enabling Philippine SMEs to become export competitive and make their mark in international trade. We are grateful to be part of this initiative from the EU and DTI”
As part of the efforts to mainstream and support women entrepreneurs, the event also officialised the institutionalization of the ITC-DTI SheTrades Hub in the Philippines.
“With the institutionalization of the SheTrades Philippines Hub, the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau will work with ITC to further strengthen our country’s efforts in promoting women’s economic empowerment and lower or eliminate the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, at home and internationally, to foster a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” DTI- TPG Assistant Secretary Peñaranda added.
About Arise Plus Philippines
With an allocation of 5.8 million euro, the European Union-funded ARISE Plus Philippines helps Philippine exporters take advantage of EU market access and of the trade privileges granted under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP+). ARISE promotes awareness of new trade opportunities in the private sector in the Philippines, but also helps local MSMEs upgrade their production processes to meet international quality standards. In this way, the project supports the overall EU-Philippines trade relationship and trade-related policies by improving trade performance of the Philippines and fostering inclusive economic growth.
ARISE Plus Philippines is a project of the EU and the Government of the Philippines, with the Department of Trade and Industry as the lead partner. Other government agencies involved are the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Customs and the Department of Science and Technology. The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the technical agency supporting the project’s implementation.
About National Exporters’ Week (NEW)
The National Exporters’ Week is an annual event led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), in partnership with the Export Development Council (EDC) and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT). Presidential Proclamation 931, series of 1996 and House Resolution No.33 declared the first week of December as the Exporters’ Week in order to obtain total commitment of the government and the private sector to continuously work together to sustain export promotion and development.
Media contacts:
EU Delegation:
Thelma Gecolea
Thelma.gecolea@eeas.europa.eu
International Trade Centre:
Waqas Rafique
wrafique@intracen.org
Department of Trade and Industry:
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau
Kristina Noelle Andaya
kristinanoelleandaya@dti.gov.ph
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Press Release
20 July 2022
UN and humanitarian partners support 1M Odette-affected persons in last six months; recovery work continues till end of 2022
MANILA, 20 July 2022--Six months after Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) left a trail of devastation in 11 of the country’s 17 regions, the United Nations (UN) and humanitarian partners in the Philippines, and in support of the Government-led response, have provided life-saving assistance to over a million people. Since April, following the announcement by the Government of the end of the response phase, the humanitarian community has since been supporting local governments to implement early recovery activities.
To mark six months since Typhoon Odette, the UN Philippines launched today the Typhoon Odette Six Months On Photo Exhibition at the Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros. This exhibition, hosted by the Embassy of Spain, the Instituto Cervantes and AECID and coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on behalf of the Humanitarian Community, seeks to raise awareness of the increase in the occurrence of disasters as a direct impact of climate change and its effects on the development of societies. It will be open to the public until 20 August, to mark World Humanitarian Day on 19 August.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez said, “The Humanitarian Community will continue its support to the affected communities to ensure that progress made in the last six months is not rolled back.”
Gonzalez cited a recent report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which stated that damaged houses still number over 2.1 million. The revised Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) plan which was launched by the Humanitarian Country Team in the Philippines on 2 February committed to provide assistance to 840,000 people in Caraga, Southern Leyte, Cebu and Bohol. Shelter assistance, as one of the main needs, was provided to over 210,000 typhoon-affected households. To date, close to 66,000 families have received kitchen items, sleeping kits, and lighting items. More Shelter Repair Kits and other shelter materials for the rebuilding of homes are needed however.
At the same time, over 3,000 people remain displaced in five regions (Regions VI, VII, VIII, MIMAROPA, and Caraga). In order to relocate these internally displaced persons (IDPs), resettlement sites need to be prepared.
Gonzalez also noted that in the last six months over 1.2 million people have received livelihood support, particularly for agriculture. Humanitarian partners have started implementing cash-for-work activities in Bohol and Southern Leyte, and this has helped beneficiaries to restart fishing and farming livelihoods. However, restarting agricultural activities is hampered by a number of factors, including the unfinished clearing of debris left by Typhoon Odette, and challenges in operating farming equipment due to oil price increases.
Gonzalez said that some 84,000 healthcare workers have been deployed and have served in temporary health facilities. However, health facilities remain semi-functional in many areas, and communities continue to require support to access health services.
Close to 46,000 children aged 0-59 months have been screened for acute malnutrition. The quality and coverage of services for the early detection and treatment of life-threatening acute malnutrition in early childhood needs to be improved and prioritized.
Earlier, in the response effort, humanitarian partners deployed 562 trucks to deliver relief items. While logistics operations for Typhoon Odette have ended, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had requested humanitarian organizations to move cargo in response to Tropical Storm Agaton. The goods were moved into areas also affected by Typhoon Odette, including the delivery of Government supplied food, hygiene items, and family/sleeping kits, among others.
Gonzalez acknowledged the support of donors such as USAID, the European Union, Japan, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Australia, Canada and Spain for enabling the UN and over 260 humanitarian partners to address urgent humanitarian needs and implement early recovery programmes through more than 15,000 activities in food security and nutrition, protection, shelter, WASH, education, health and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM).
At the same time, Gonzalez said that while long-term and sustained recovery will be the focus of support to the Government until the end of the year, the Humanitarian Community will reinforce measures to strengthen preparedness and build resilience against future shocks.
“Humanitarian partners will continue to work closely with local authorities to pilot new approaches such as anticipatory action,” Gonzalez said.
“As nations continue to address the different impacts of the global pandemic, the reality is several hazards may strike at once. The Philippines has already experienced responding to catastrophes in a COVID-19 crisis scenario and amid difficult access to resources due to the war in Ukraine. This is forcing all of us to change the way operations are being conducted,” he added.
Notes to Editors
Revised Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan
Latest OCHA Situation Report
Anticipatory Action
For more information, please contact:
Manja Vidic, Head of Office, UN OCHA Philippines
vidic@un.org
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Press Release
21 December 2021
PHL, UN and partners endorse roadmap to accelerate implementation of human rights joint programme
MANILA, 20 December 2021—The Philippines-United Nations (UN) Joint Programme on human rights took its first major step today at the Steering Committee meeting of government and civil society partners and participating UN agencies, where they agreed on a roadmap to implement Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which outlined specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.
The steering committee meeting today was participated in by Department of Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, UN Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, and representatives of government, UN and civil society partners.
Guevarra said, "The Joint Programme seeks to affirm the commitment of the Philippines to the primacy of human rights, the importance of a free democratic space for civil society, and the principle of international cooperation—key values that the Philippines holds dear as a founding charter member of the UN." UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez said, “Today’s meeting is an important step forward in the implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 45/33. Concrete actions, milestones and tools have been discussed and adopted. Everyone has a role in the joint programme and is accountable for the expected results.”
The human rights joint programme received a boost recently with combined financial support from the governments of Norway and Australia of some Php29 million.
“I thank the Governments of Australia and Norway for their readiness in supporting the Joint Programme. They know that respect for human rights is a core component of sustainable and inclusive development,” Gonzalez said.
"Australia is committed to see this programme succeed and deliver tangible results. We congratulate the Government of the Pilippines for its efforts," said Ambassador Steven Robinson of the Embassy of Australia.
On 22 July 2021, the Philippines and the UN signed the UN Joint Programme Programme on Human Rights. The three-year UN joint programme was developed to implement Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which outlined specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines. The joint programme document was signed by Secretary Guevarra, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.,and Gonzalez, with the late Jose Luis Gascon of the Commission on Human Rights in attendance.
Aside from the DoJ, the UN joint programme is being co-implemented by the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Department of Health (DOH), the Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center (ATC-PMC), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as well as the academe will also be core partners in the implementation of the programme.
UN entities involved in the programme - the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT); and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – will work with the Government, drawing on expertise and best practices to apply human rights-based approaches in these areas. Gonzalez said, "The UN Joint Programme on Human Rights brings together different actors to find solutions to complex challenges. This is not always an easy task, but these challenges cannot be resolved by trainings and expertise alone. Resolving them requires leadership and courage." "This Joint Programme forges a lasting partnership for the advancement of the principles declared in the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Article III of the 1987 Constitution--the Philippines’ own Bill of Rights," said Guevarra.
Through the joint programme, the UN in the Philippines will engage in capacity-building and technical cooperation in six areas, namely, strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms; data gathering on alleged police violations; civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control. [Ends] For more information, please contact: Signe Poulsen (Ms) UN Philippines Senior Human Rights Adviser Email: signe.poulsen1@un.org
Guevarra said, "The Joint Programme seeks to affirm the commitment of the Philippines to the primacy of human rights, the importance of a free democratic space for civil society, and the principle of international cooperation—key values that the Philippines holds dear as a founding charter member of the UN." UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez said, “Today’s meeting is an important step forward in the implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 45/33. Concrete actions, milestones and tools have been discussed and adopted. Everyone has a role in the joint programme and is accountable for the expected results.”
The human rights joint programme received a boost recently with combined financial support from the governments of Norway and Australia of some Php29 million.
“I thank the Governments of Australia and Norway for their readiness in supporting the Joint Programme. They know that respect for human rights is a core component of sustainable and inclusive development,” Gonzalez said.
"Australia is committed to see this programme succeed and deliver tangible results. We congratulate the Government of the Pilippines for its efforts," said Ambassador Steven Robinson of the Embassy of Australia.
On 22 July 2021, the Philippines and the UN signed the UN Joint Programme Programme on Human Rights. The three-year UN joint programme was developed to implement Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which outlined specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines. The joint programme document was signed by Secretary Guevarra, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.,and Gonzalez, with the late Jose Luis Gascon of the Commission on Human Rights in attendance.
Aside from the DoJ, the UN joint programme is being co-implemented by the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Department of Health (DOH), the Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center (ATC-PMC), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as well as the academe will also be core partners in the implementation of the programme.
UN entities involved in the programme - the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT); and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – will work with the Government, drawing on expertise and best practices to apply human rights-based approaches in these areas. Gonzalez said, "The UN Joint Programme on Human Rights brings together different actors to find solutions to complex challenges. This is not always an easy task, but these challenges cannot be resolved by trainings and expertise alone. Resolving them requires leadership and courage." "This Joint Programme forges a lasting partnership for the advancement of the principles declared in the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Article III of the 1987 Constitution--the Philippines’ own Bill of Rights," said Guevarra.
Through the joint programme, the UN in the Philippines will engage in capacity-building and technical cooperation in six areas, namely, strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms; data gathering on alleged police violations; civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control. [Ends] For more information, please contact: Signe Poulsen (Ms) UN Philippines Senior Human Rights Adviser Email: signe.poulsen1@un.org
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Press Release
28 June 2021
UN Secretary-General's Message for the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June
Science and trust in science are the hero and lesson of the pandemic; the world needs both to win against the virus. Scientists delivered safe and effective vaccines in record time. Access to reliable and verifiable information is making the difference between life and death.
Action based on evidence is crucial for our responses to drugs, too.
The world drug problem remains an urgent challenge that threatens to exacerbate pandemic impacts and hinder a healthy and inclusive recovery. The forthcoming World Drug Report 2021 from the United Office on Drugs and Crime shows that deaths attributed to disorders related to drug use have nearly doubled over the past decade. New HIV infections among adults worldwide have declined in recent years, but not among people who inject drugs, who accounted for 10 per cent of new infections in 2019.
International cooperation has helped to limit the proliferation of new psychoactive substances, but the problem is shifting to poorer regions where control systems are weaker. Dark web drug sales continue to rise, and non-medical use of pharmaceuticals, including opioids, is expanding.
Drug trafficking and organized crime fuel and perpetuate cycles of violence and conflict. Armed groups and terrorists profit from the illicit drug trade, and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of people even more vulnerable to drug crime and illicit crop cultivation.
Disparities in access to essential controlled medicines in low- and middle-income countries have been further heightened in the pandemic. For example, medical professionals in West and Central Africa in 2019 had four doses of pain medication every day for one million inhabitants; in North America, the number of doses was nearly 32,000.
Investing in balanced prevention as well as control of drug use and drug use disorders produces solid returns -- saved lives, healthier populations, improved workforce participation and productivity, and reduced criminal justice costs.
Many of the risk factors associated with crime and violent behaviour are also drivers of drug use, and targeted efforts focusing on these overlapping dynamics -- including childhood maltreatment and lack of social support -- can help to strengthen prevention.
Moreover, research suggests that law enforcement and policing need to go after the criminals at the upper levels of the drug trafficking chain, who reap the highest profits and wreak the greatest violence.
Public-private partnerships - with tech companies, postal and courier services, and shipping companies - represent an essential frontline response in the new fight against drug traffickers, who are increasingly exploiting the legal cargo trade and postal services to move their illicit product.
Better data is also helping to identify trends and enable real-time monitoring of rapidly shifting trafficking routes. Science-driven early warning systems are helping to predict emerging drug threats. Greater international cooperation and support are needed to help low-income countries to take advantage of these advanced capabilities.
The theme of this year’s observance of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, “Share facts on drugs. Save lives” is a call for solidarity. I urge all Member States to listen to the science and take action, building on agreed international frameworks and drawing on United Nations support for health and justice.
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Press Release
18 June 2021
UN Secretary-General's Message for World Refugee Day, 20 June 2021
War, violence and persecution have forced more than 80 million people around the world to flee their homes, leaving everything behind to save themselves and their families.
Refugees must begin their lives anew.
But for so many, the pandemic has wiped out their livelihoods, led to stigmatization and vilification and exposed them disproportionately to the virus.
At the same time, refugees once again demonstrated their invaluable contribution to their adoptive societies as essential and frontline workers.
We have a duty to help refugees rebuild their lives.
COVID-19 has shown us that we can only succeed if we stand together.
On World Refugee Day, I call on communities and governments to include refugees – in health care, education, and sport.
We heal together when we all get the care we need.
We learn together when we are all given the chance to study.
We shine together when we play as a team and respect everyone.
On World Refugee Day, I commend the countries that have welcomed refugees. But we need more support – from States, the private sector, communities and individuals – if we are to move together towards a more inclusive future, free of discrimination.
The refugees I have met have shown me what it means to rebuild your own life while summoning the strength to enrich the lives of others.
As High Commissioner for Refugees for 10 years, I was inspired by their courage, resilience and determination.
I thank refugees and displaced persons across the world and reiterate my personal admiration for what they have taught us all about the power of hope and healing.
This World Refugee Day and every day, we stand together with refugees.
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