GOVPH

Remarks

HON. ENRIQUE A. MANALO

Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Opening Ceremony Advanced Courses Of The Hague Academy Of International Law In The Philippines 

19 February 2024, Monday

Tagaytay, Philippines

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo of the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines;

Retired Justice Rosmari Carandang, Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy;

Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law;

Ambassador Malaya and colleagues in the Philippine government service, other distinguished guests, friends.

Good morning. I am honored to welcome you all to the “Advanced Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law 2024.”

For over a century, the Hague Academy of International Law has been a center for education and advanced research in public and private international law. A number of Filipinos have already benefited from the immersive experience and in depth legal analysis offered by the Academy, through the years. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs remains committed in supporting the Academy’s programs, consistent with the country’s adherence to good governance, justice, and the rule of law. I am proud to share that the Philippines has made voluntary contributions to the Academy in recent years, the latest of which was for the scholarship honoring the memory of legal luminary Justice Florentino P. Feliciano, also a former chair of the WTO Appellate Body, and a member of the Academy’s Curatorium from 1996 to 2015. 

As nations face political and economic challenges and uncertainty in an ever changing global landscape, the study of international law and inter-state relations is more relevant than ever. It is worth mentioning that the Philippines has hosted a number of conferences and strategic meetings on international law, as it continues to champion efforts to promote and strengthen a rules-based international order. With the impressive roster of legal experts gathered here today, I am hopeful that international law could help provide solutions to the biggest challenges the world is facing today. 

To our participants, I wish you a productive two-week learning opportunity as you immerse yourselves in an intensive professional training course on a broad range of topics in international law with your fellow legal practitioners and scholars. 

Before I end, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Hague Academy of International Law for reaching its centennial milestone in 2023. Finally, I wish to express my thanks to the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Philippine Judicial Academy for the generous hosting of this event and for their steadfast leadership in ensuring that it will be a meaningful experience for our guests and participants.  

Thank you and Mabuhay!

END