The challenge of preventing unlawful killings is global. We just need to look at the most recent news on media to understand its dimensions and social impact. I have in mind the killing in 2017 of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, at the hands of police. In this case, investigations resulted in the conviction of the responsible police officers. But in most cases, there is no CCTV footage, basic elements of investigations are lacking, and families of victims are left without the truth of what happened to their loved ones, while perpetrators walk free and are not held accountable.  Last week, from 3-7 July, the Government of the Philippines together with the United Nations (UN) under the UN Joint Programme for Human Rights took a significant step to help address this. In partnership with global and Philippine experts, 26 participants, including representatives of government agencies, senior level prosecutors, security forces, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and civil society came together in a week-long intensive training to discuss how to implement the so-called “Minnesota Protocol” on the investigation of potentially unlawful death (2016) in the country.  Internationally, the Minnesota Protocol is considered to be the gold standard in such investigations. It sets out the relevant legal framework, and elaborates on the conduct of an investigation, including the investigation process, witness interviews and protection, recovery of human remains, identification of dead bodies, types of evidence and sampling, autopsies and the analysis of human remains, as well as several guidelines, annexes and pictorial charts including anatomical sketches.   The firm grounding in the Minnesota Protocol and other international human rights standards was a unique feature of the training. Facilitators and participants applied these to practical exercises, real-life scenarios, and best practices from other countries where the Minnesota Protocol is adapted to the national forensic guidelines.   Last week’s training brought together global experts in this field. Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, a forensic doctor who currently serves as UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary killings, has conducted fact-finding, technical assessments and capacity-building missions in over 70 counties. In 1987 he was invited by the Presidential Committee on Human Rights of the Philippines, in his capacity as director of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology, to train Philippine investigators on the recovery, identification and documentation of the remains of the disappeared. Stephen Cordner, Professor of Forensic Medicine at Monash University with experience globally, has undertaken autopsies in, and/or death investigations from, most jurisdictions of Australia, New Zealand, Timor Leste, Fiji and other Pacific Island nations, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, India, Jamaica, Canada, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Atty. Kingsley Abbot has worked at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia and as a Trial Counsel in the Office of the Prosecutor at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague and has contributed to the development of the Minnesota Protocol as part of the International Commission of Jurists.  Dr. Luis Fondebrider, co-founder and long-term head of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), has worked in 60 countries advising the ICRC and the UN, and has provided advice to truth commissions and international criminal tribunals. Ms. Leone Scott is a former police officer who has led and contributed to the development of methodologies for victim and survivor interviewing and investigative interviewing, with a particular focus on handling and effective interviewing of vulnerable and at-risk victims and witnesses, including victims of sexual assault and abuse. National experts, including Dr. Raquel Fortun and Dr. Cecilia Lim of the University of the Philippines (UP) Medical College also facilitated sessions.   Global experience shows that the application of the Minnesota Protocol either through enacting legislation or adapting the Protocol into the existing manuals or guidelines at the domestic level has proven to be a useful tool for investigating cases of unlawful killings and enforced disappearances. Its practical approach complements other protocols such as the so-called “Istanbul Protocol” on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.    For example, training participants explored what the Minnesota Protocol says about interviewing victims and witnesses and were able to compare this to their everyday work. They also worked in teams to solve resources constraints that may exist when arriving at crime scenes.    The training programme is just one element contributing towards strengthening investigations and addressing impunity. The week-long session also served to go more in-depth on issues related to legal and policy reform, and to explore how to strengthen forensic capacity in the Philippines, which is one of the key priorities of the Department of Justice (DoJ). In this sense, the establishment of a National Forensic Institute, legislation related to mandatory autopsies, adoption of specialized training for Philippine doctors, and further cascading of knowledge about the Minnesota Protocol to be used alongside domestic procedures in all regions of the Philippines are all elements that will definitely strengthen accountability. Cooperation with other countries, including in the Southeast Asia region, will also contribute to exchanges on best practices.  The participation of the academe and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the training together with prosecutors, investigators and medical personnel has been critical. This enhanced a common understanding of the investigation procedures and steps to be taken when investigating potentially unlawful killings, and may also help strengthen coordination among different stakeholders. A trust building investment.   The Minnesota Protocol provides civil society actors with another tool in their advocacy, and a framework for detailed engagement with state actors when helping families of those killed. Through a framework of State obligations, such as the duty to investigate, the Minnesota Protocol outlines the steps of what is required, so that victim family members and CSOs supporting them can ask detailed questions related to what steps have and have not been taken.  As the UN, we are certainly proud of bringing the best knowledge and expertise to address complex development issues, such as justice and accountability. Without them, development risks not being as sustainable as we want.   We remain committed to continuing the work towards the full implementation of the Minnesota Protocol, and appreciate the constructive engagement that has started in this area, which is supported now by nine strong friends of the Philippines[1]--contributors to the UN Joint Programme for Human Rights. [Ends]     [1] Australia, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America and the European Union. 

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

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

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