DFA Hosts Multi-stakeholders’ Workshop on Sustainable Dev’t Goals

From left: DFA UNIO Economic Development Division Director Roberto G. Manalo, UNITAR Multilateral Diplomacy Program Manager Rabih El-Haddad, South Centre Deputy Executive Director Vicente Paolo Yu, DFA-UNIO Acting Assistant Secretary Noralyn Jubaira-Baja, DFA Undersecretary for Policy Enrique A. Manalo, UNCTAD Secretary of the Trade and Development Board Miguel R. Bautista, and Global CEO Alliance CEO James Donovan. (DFA photo)

MANILA 29 October 2018 — Different stakeholders working on the Philippines’ development agenda came together in a workshop in an effort to position the country’s efforts towards achieving the different global development agenda on 15-16 October 2018 at the Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City.

The Multistakeholders’ Workshop on the Nexus between the Philippine Development Plans, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) and the South Summit was jointly organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs–Office of United Nations and International Organizations (DFA-UNIO) and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

In her welcome remarks, Foreign Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary for United Nations and International Organizations Noralyn Jubaira-Baja highlighted that the workshop is convened at an opportune time on the third year of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the Philippines prepares for major development-related meetings for 2019.

These meetings include the Philippines’ scheduled presentation of its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the ECOSOC in July 2019, two High-Level Political Forums (HLPF) that will be held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in July and under the UN General Assembly in September, the United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation to be held in Buenos Aires, which will incidentally mark the 40th anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Acton (BAPA), and the planned South Summit.

In his keynote speech, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique A. Manalo reaffirmed on the commitment of the Philippines to attaining the SDGs through its mid and long-term development plans – the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and AmBisyon Natin 2040.

Undersecretary Manalo further highlighted the Duterte Administration’s socio-economic agenda on achieving peace, social progress and sustainable development–with no Filipino left behind.

He emphasized the current status of the Philippines, being a Least Developed Country in 1971 when the BAPA was adopted, to currently as a Middle Income Country. Such an impressive achievement should be the Philippines’ story message to the BAPA+40 in Buenos Aires next year.

The workshop was chaired by First Secretary Raphael S.C. Hermoso of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva. It featured presentation and panel discussions from resource speakers–of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) the Trade and Development Board Secretary Miguel R. Bautista, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Multilateral Diplomacy Program Manager Rabih El-Haddad, South Centre Deputy Executive Director Vicente Paolo Yu, Global CEO Alliance CEO James Donovan, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Social Development Staff Director Mary Anne Darauay, Technical Cooperation Council of the Philippines (TCCP) Alternate Chairperson Jose Maria A. Cariño, Social Watch Philippines Co-Covenor Ma. Victoria R. Raquiza, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director Ozzeir Khan.

Breakout sessions held on the second day generated inputs and recommendations on how the Philippines can approach and position itself in the upcoming HLPFs, BAPA and South Summit to be held in 2019. The same inputs will be incorporated in the Chairman’s report which will serve as the workshop’s outcome document. END