Special Address by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the United Nations General Assembly

Madam Vice President,

Excellencies,

Esteemed Delegates,

We gather once again at a time of profound global upheaval. Armed conflicts have erupted, geopolitical rivalries intensify, and the institutions designed for peace are tested by the complexities of modern challenges.

In this critical decade, the world needs the Security Council to not only reflect responsibility and power – it must also reflect perspective.

The Indo-Pacific, home to more than half of humanity, has become the strategic center of gravity in the 21st century.

Its sea lanes carry the lifeblood of global commerce. Its stability shapes global prosperity. Its tensions carry consequences beyond regional borders.

We, of the Philippines, offer a voice from this region, the voice of developing countries, the voice of climate vulnerable nations, and the voice of middle-income countries facing competing challenges and priorities.

All this, whilst persevering to achieve the well-being and security of our peoples.

As a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, a bridge between Global North and Global South, the Philippines understands dialogue, partnership, and coalition building. We maintain warm and deep relations across diverse regions and political systems.

We believe that diplomacy must always be given space to succeed. This year, the Philippines is proud to be Chair of ASEAN.

And ASEAN has succeeded in promoting peace, economic development and social progress in Southeast Asia. ASEAN is the convening power in a region where interests of major and middle powers intersect.

This has enriched the Philippines’ experience as a forger of consensus, a builder of bridges.

Excellencies,

Rising from the ashes of the Second World War, we have together built this forum for nations to partake in the discourse for peace.

Enshrining our aspirations in the pages of the United Nations Charter, we vowed that never again shall we be cursed by such a global catastrophe.

But watching events in Gaza, the Ukraine, Sudan, the Middle East, and in many other places, I cannot help but ask, are we succeeding? Or are we failing our ancestors who, in 1945 forged this assembly out of shared anxiety, shared hope, and endeavor, to fulfill humanity’s aspirations for peace? Are we failing those who will succeed us?

For surely they too deserve to inherit a world where safety, security, dignity and a healthy planet are assured for all of humanity.

It was not so long ago when we made the Pact for the Future, pledging a new beginning to multilateralism and promising to protect succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

We join calls for restraint, a de-escalation and cessation of hostilities, respect for international law, including the UN Charter and humanitarian law and for all concerned to return to the negotiating table – for peace.

History bears witness to my country’s steadfast commitment to international peace and security. The Philippines was among the first nations to respond to the United Nation’s call for assistance in the Korean War.

More than 7,400 Filipinos served under the United Nations Command, 112 of them gave their lives to the cause of peace.

Again responding to the call of the United Nations and the Congolese government, the Philippine Air Force “Limbas Squadron” mounted its first international operation in 1963, heading to Congo on a peacekeeping mission to secure Congo’s skies.

It was reported that our pilots not only flew but also pioneered civic action missions, teaching locals the craft of bamboo weaving and furniture making.

As early as the 1960s, Filipino peacekeepers worked not only for peace, but also for the progress of local communities.

Since that mission in Congo, we have deployed 15,000 troops to 22 peacekeeping missions in Africa, in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific.

Our experience has taught us that at its core, peacekeeping is service to the community.

We firmly support peacekeeping models that place paramount consideration for the needs of the community. We place emphasis on the promotion of efficient, responsive, and non-politicized peacekeeping models that promote the well-being of women, children, older persons, people living with disabilities, all vulnerable people.

Then and now, we stand ready to do our part to stay the forces of war, to end conflict, to ease suffering.

We call for urgent and much needed action for peace in the Middle East, in the Ukraine, in Sudan, the DRC, the Sahel, Yemen, and Myanmar. Their people continue to live in fear and in despair.

These tragedies need to stop. Innocents must be protected; and their basic needs immediately provided.

And for the wider region, the Philippines joins the international community in calling for restraint, de-escalation, and cessation of hostilities.

As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines led the issuance of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Situation in the Middle East reaffirming the obligation of all States to resolve differences through engagement and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in armed conflict consistent with international law.

And as we call for the end of conflict around the world, we also urge all parties to these conflicts and the international community to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation arising from such conflicts.

The safe, free, and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to people in need is not negotiable.

This holds true for the Middle East, for Ukraine, Sudan, the DRC, the Sahel, Yemen, Myanmar, everywhere else where humanitarian action is needed.

The Global Humanitarian Overview for 2026 indicates that $23 billion is needed to save 87 million lives. No one country can nor should fulfill this onerous duty alone. We, the United Nations, standing together, must all bear this burden.

For saving humanity remains our collective responsibility.

And despite its developmental challenges, the Philippines remains committed as a partner of the UN OCHA, Red Cross, and other humanitarian organizations.

We consistently contribute to the Central Emergency Response Fund and other pooled funds to meet humanitarian needs.

We encourage all countries, on all development levels, to support humanitarian action. At the same time, we urge all countries to take resolute steps to address the root causes of these conflicts.

Our own experience has shown that peace is possible despite several decades of conflict.

Guided by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, our relentless pursuit for peace achieved unalloyed success with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014, after many years of negotiations.

The now peaceful and growing Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Southern part of the Philippines stands as a living testament to the transformative power of women to build enduring peace.

Championing and operationalizing Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women Peace and Security, the successful government panel of negotiators was led by a Filipina, Dr. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, who to this day, remains the only woman to ever lead and sign a major peace agreement.

Both humbled and emboldened by our success in resolving conflict, we hosted the International Conference on Women Peace and Security in 2024.

We welcomed 1,730 participants from 75 countries and discussed the roles of women in peace processes, the crafting of national action plans on Women, Peace, and Security, and financing strategies for WPS initiatives, among many other topics.

Our National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, the first in Asia, is now in its fourth iteration.

Excellencies,

War is not the only threat to humanity. Climate change poses the greatest existential test for all our civilizations.

For the Philippines, the climate crisis is not a future risk, it is for us a present reality. It reshapes our coastlines, our communities, and even the Filipino psyche.

Each typhoon, flood and period of extreme drought leaves its mark, not only in physical damage, but trauma in the minds of our children.

A 2022 survey showed that young people from the Philippines reported the highest vulnerability to climate-anxiety.

And so we have acted with purpose and urgency, making climate resilience a core component of our national strategy.

In 2025, we allocated 18 percent of our national budget to climate-related expenditures.

We established the Climate Change Expenditure Tagging system which allows us to track and to align budget priorities with the National Climate Change Action Plan.

To address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change, the Philippines was selected to host the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.

And as host country of the Board, we commit to ensure the Fund’s governance maintains equitable, transparent, and needs-based allocation of resources.

The Philippines joined the movement to have the International Court of Justice issue an advisory opinion on the obligation of States in respect to climate change.

And we were gratified by the ICJ confirmation that States have a legal obligation under international law to prevent climate harm.

Standing by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, we reiterated our call on developed and industrialized countries, to fulfill their obligations to cut greenhouse gas and provide new, additional financing for climate adaptation and loss and damage.

To galvanize support for the climate and environmental challenges faced by countries in Asia-Pacific, the Philippines organized the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Philippines also hosted the first International Conference on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution last year. Together with the International Atomic Energy Agency, we joined the search for ways that nuclear technology can help address plastic pollution.

And as my country confronts its climate vulnerability directly, we extend our hand to other countries. The Philippines welcomes South-South or triangular cooperation, capacity-building arrangements, and the exchange of knowledge and technology.

The climate crisis knows no borders. And it is by standing together, uniting in purpose, that we shall survive and overcome.

The Philippines further stands ready to cooperate in other areas. Having achieved a level of success in healthcare education, migration governance, and Technical Vocational Education and Training, we are open to forging South-South cooperation, especially with countries in special situations – Small Island Developing States, Least Developing Countries, and Landlocked Developing Countries – as well as countries in Africa.

As an active and responsible member of the G-77 and China, the Philippines stands with the Global South on issues of financing for development, food and water security, and implementing the 2030 Agenda.

As Chair of the Like-Minded Group of Middle Income Countries, the Philippines strongly believes that the UN Development System must better cater to the specific needs of Middle Income Countries, for we are home to 75 percent of the world’s population, 60 percent of its poor, and a third of global production.

The Philippines supports Africa’s call for fundamental reform of global governance structures, including permanent African representation on the UN Security Council.

As fellow developing nations navigating often obsolete international systems that were designed without our counsel, we commit to amplifying Africa’s leadership in reshaping multilateral institutions to reflect 21st-century realities rather than 20th-century power structures.

We support rebalancing decision-making power in global financing institutions so developing countries are co-architects of systems that determine allocation, eligibility, and accountability.

We must span the technological divide and leverage the power of technology for development, for security. The rapid development of emerging technologies, including AI, present immense opportunity, and, as with every powerful tool, significant risks.

The Philippines advocates for multilateral cooperation to establish legally binding norms and frameworks to govern our responsible behavior in these novel domains.

The Philippines has adopted a National AI Strategy which aims to build a robust infrastructure, develop a future-ready workforce, and strengthen innovation.

We use AI and seek for it to become a tool for inclusion, respectful of the belief that human dignity must always be the primary consideration.

Excellencies,

All our efforts will mean little nor will they endure without the rule of law and respect for human rights.

The Philippines has consistently affirmed its resolute commitment to the rule of law and the promotion, protection and respect, of human rights.

Our decision to join the United Nations 80 years ago was anchored on the belief that the rule of law is the beacon that guides our journey towards peace, security and shared prosperity.

We adhere to multilateralism and we uphold the UN Charter.

As a responsible State Party, we abide by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are steadfast in our dedication to diplomacy, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the constructive management of differences to prevent escalation of disputes.

We remain faithful to the principles of territorial integrity and the sovereign equality of all states.

Our faith and commitment to the United Nations has never wavered in the eight decades of our membership. We have always risen to the occasion whenever we are called.

When the UN demands, the Philippines responds.

At a time when the UN diplomats thought little of social issues and considered them unworthy of UN time, the Philippines insisted that social issues were the equal of economic ones. We spoke for vulnerable people of the world, bringing their views to the halls of the United Nations, and inviting attention to their needs and their concerns.

At a time when equality between men and women was still a contentious issue, the Philippines championed women and prepared the first draft of the CEDAW as a basic working paper for the United Nations.

In the 80s, we worked tirelessly for equal opportunities for persons with disabilities during the Decade of Disabled Persons.

Holding fast to the inherent equality of all human beings, regardless of race, the Philippines likewise advocated against apartheid.

In 1995, when women’s rights and the concept of gender equality were under scrutiny, the Philippines sent a delegation to Beijing and a Filipino chaired the main committee that negotiated the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Filipinos actively advanced the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was adopted in 2007.

Many of its provisions echoed the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of the Philippines which we had enacted a decade early.

We did our part for Rohingya youth by providing opportunities for them in our colleges and universities, together with the UNHCR.

Our 4-year old Complementary Pathways Program has developed a graduate last year; with more expected this year. We are expanding the program yearly to benefit more Rohingya students.

These efforts are reminiscent of our long-established open door policy to refugees; taking in Jews fleeing Europe during World War II, the White Russians in 1949, and the Vietnamese in the 70s and the 80s, the Filipino spirit of compassion lives on for the Rohingyas.

We believe that migration is a force for good and that migrants contribute to sustainable development in the countries of their origin, in transit, and in their destinations. Migrants, including seafarers, connect our nations.

Their dignity and rights should serve as a unifying principle, not a divisive fault line, for governments worldwide.

The Philippines champions the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, and calls on all to support the upcoming International Migration Review Forum.

In light of the funding shortfalls faced by the UN, the Philippines has been vocal in its support for reforms that will enable the UN to deliver on its mandates, while lessening bureaucracy and fragmentation.

Concerned over the UN’s current liquidity crisis, and amidst strong resistance to multilateralism, we persist in our commitment to this august organization.

We paid our regular budget assessments in full within the 30-day due period in January of this year. And we are proud to be included in the UN’s Honor Roll this year.

Excellencies,

Our contributions across the whole spectrum of UN work, since its inception, are borne out by history.

Always ready to be part of the solution, the Philippines has regularly proven itself to be an independent, trusted partner, an innovative pathfinder, and a committed peacemaker.

In the midst of mounting challenges and uncertainties, our United Nations need steady, committed, experienced hands; and we humbly offer ours – to serve in the UN Security Council for 2027 to 2028.

We lodged our candidature, mindful that a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council is not a right of any State, but a privilege earned through consistent, dedicated, meaningful and concrete partnership, in the service of the United Nations, and so of humanity.

The Philippines stands ready once again, to contribute – to help calm voices of division, provide a voice of balance; to shun ambition, for service and always as a voice for principled peace.

And thus, I stand before you to humbly petition, for your support for the Philippines in the elections on the 3rd of June 2026.

Thank you and Mabuhay.

[applause]

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