President Rodrigo Roa Duterte leads the Philippine delegation to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, 21-27 September 2021

PASAY CITY 20 September 2021 — His Excellency, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will head the Philippine delegation to the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week (HLW). The Philippine participation will be undertaken through a hybrid format, including submission of pre-recorded statements and participation in virtual and in-person meetings and side events.

This will be the second time that President Duterte will address the UNGA. The delivery of the Philippine statement is scheduled on the first day of the High-Level General Debate on 21 September 2021 within the 1600H - 1800H window, New York time (22 September 2021, 0400H – 0600H, Philippine Standard Time).

The President will articulate the Philippine positions on a wide range of issues of key importance to the country such as universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change, human rights, including the situation of migrant workers and refugees, and international and regional security developments.

The 76th Session of the UNGA opened on 14 September 2021, while the HLW will open on 21 September with the theme, “Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations”.

The Philippine delegation is also expected to participate in the following meetings: UNGA76 High-Level General Debate on 21 to 25 and 27 September; High-level Meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme Action on 22 September, UN Food Systems Summit on 23 September; High-level Dialogue on Energy on 24 September; International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and High-Level Meeting on Jobs and Social

Protection for Poverty Reduction on 28 September, among others.

The Philippines will also host a side event on 27 September to launch the coffee table book “The Seeds of Peace: The Philippines and UN Peace Operations, 1962-2021”, a project by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), and the members of the National Council for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (NCUNPO) to honor and pay tribute to Filipino ‘blue helmets’ who have risked, and continue to risk their lives for the cause of peace.

The High-Level General Debate will be presided over by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid of Maldives, President of the 76th UNGA. END