Departure Statement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his Working Visit to New York, U.S.A.
Honorable Members of the Cabinet,
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos,
Members of the press corps,
Mga kababayan, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Malugod kong binabati ang lahat ng ating kababayan sa araw na ito ng International Women’s Day.
Today, I will be departing with the official Philippine Delegation for a Working Visit in New York from the 8th to the 10th of March.
On this trip, I will be delivering the National Statement at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 2026 is a milestone year since it is the 45th Anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which the Philippines signed in 1980 and ratified in 1981 – the first ASEAN country to do so. My participation in the CSW signals the strong commitment of the Philippines to gender equality and women empowerment.
It is an opportunity to share the best practices of the Philippines, the challenges we face on women’s rights, and the lessons that can be learned from our own journey towards peace. Our achievements in Women, Peace and Security and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao can be shared with the UN and the global community, as we vie for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
This is the other, related, purpose of my visit to New York: to campaign for the Philippines’ candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2027-2028. This candidature is about shared responsibility. It is about ensuring that the voice of the Philippines– and of developing countries – is heard at the highest forum of global peace and security.
Pagkakataon din nating sumangguni sa mga opisyal ng United Nations sa mga kasalukuyang kaganapan iba’t ibang panig ng mundo at maihain ang ating mga saloobin sa mga isyung ating kinakaharap.
During this trip, I will also be addressing the 193 Member States of the United Nations in a special session to be convened by the President of the General Assembly, just for the Philippines. In this platform, I will share the aspirations of the Filipino people for peace and solidarity. I will call for restraint, dialogue and respect for international law.
As I speak now, various armed conflicts across the globe are unfolding, and climate-related crises grow greater, and I cannot help but think that this is precisely the time where our brand of principled, consensus-building leadership is needed in the world.
Our country has long stood for multilateralism, firmly anchored in international law. From our consistent advocacy for the peaceful resolution of disputes, to our support for the rule of law at sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to our active participation in peacekeeping operations across continents, the Philippines has demonstrated that we are a trusted partner, innovative pathfinder and committed peacemaker that other countries in the United Nations can confidently work with.
Dahil dito, naniniwala ako na importanteng mabatid ng ating mga kasama sa pandaigdigang pamayanan ang mga maiaambag ng Pilipinas sa UN Security Council.
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