UN Resident Coordinator's Remarks on International Day of Peace 2025

Today, as we mark the International Day of Peace, I’d like to start with a personal reflection.

The world today is not short of conflict.
From global wars to local tensions, we see international law being ignored, and millions of people forced from their homes.

This is why the theme of this year’s Peace Day —
“Act Now for a Peaceful World” —
could not be more timely.

Because peace doesn’t wait. And peace doesn’t just happen.

It demands immediate, collective action —
From governments and institutions, yes —
But also from you and me.

From women and men,
From students and teachers,
From community leaders and youth volunteers,
From peacekeepers and journalists.

Peace means standing up —
Against hate and disinformation.
Against discrimination.
Against injustice.

And it means standing for something —
For dialogue.
For human rights.
For inclusion.
For the Sustainable Development Goals, which tackle the root causes of conflict — poverty, inequality, exclusion.

Here in the Philippines, peace is not just a political goal.
It is a human and moral imperative.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the story of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao — BARMM.

It is a living example that peace is possible —
When we listen deeply,
Act with courage,
And invest in people.

The United Nations has been proud to walk alongside the Philippines on this journey.

We’ve shown what the UN at its best can do —
Bringing together our knowledge, tools, and global experience,
To help create new institutions, shape inclusive public policies, and support their implementation.

Through joint programmes, through UN SDG Funds, the Peacebuilding Fund, and many others —
The UN family has come together to support peace that is inclusive, durable, and real.

In BARMM, for example:

• Joint Peace and Security Teams, with ex-combatants and national forces, have been trained, equipped, and deployed — helping resolve local conflicts and build trust.
• Women peacebuilders, including former combatants, are now mediators and leaders in their communities.
• Conflict-affected communities are being rebuilt, with support for education, healthcare, and livelihoods.
• Indigenous peoples are helping draft laws that protect their rights and future.

This is peace — not as a headline, but as a human story.

But peace is not just about politics.
It starts within us.

We, as peacebuilders, must also work on ourselves.
To recognize and challenge our own biases.
To listen more.
To communicate with care.
To hold ourselves accountable — in how we act, how we lead, and how we serve.

Because we cannot preach peace if we do not practice it —
In our policies but also in our teams, our workplaces, and our communities.

So today, on the International Day of Peace,
Let us remember:

🕊 Peace is not the silence after gunfire.
It is the voice of justice, of inclusion, of dignity.

The United Nations will continue to act — with and for the people of the Philippines —

To build that peace.
To protect it.
And to make it last.