Philippines Shares Commitment to Peace in High-Level Side-Event at UNGA

Undersecretary Joahna Paula Domingo of OSAP shared PH perspectives on peace during “Redefining Peace Engagement: High-Level Panel on Innovative Partnership Approaches for Conflict Prevention and Peace Conciliation” at margins of UNGA78 High-level week on 18 September 2023 in New York City, USA.

NEW YORK 20 September 2023 – At the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Philippines participated in a high-level panel co-hosted by the Principles for Peace (P4P) Foundation, a  coalition of over 120 organizations seeking global partnerships on peace engagements, as well as the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In her statement as a panelist, Undersecretary Atty. Joahna Paula Q. Domingo of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President underscored the country’s current efforts to sustain the gains of peace, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“The Marcos administration has been effective in its collaborative approach involving the regional government, the national government, civil society organizations, and international partners. The journey may be long and difficult but this administration has paved the way for the government to carry out the processes needed for sustained and lasting peace,” Undersecretary Domingo said.

The Southeast Asia launch of the P4P was held in Davao City in July this year, and the organization has reached out to the government for possible collaborations.

Assistant Secretary Atty. Ria Danielle Lumapas of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, in an intervention, was also able to share the Philippine experience on peacebuilding in Mindanao.

“We remain cognizant of the continued challenges of peacebuilding, and welcome the support of the international community. We remain eager to adopt best practices from our international partners in ensuring that the dividends of peace and democracy are felt by our countrymen in the Bangsamoro,” Assistant Secretary Lumapas said.

Also in attendance in the “Redefining Peace Engagement: A High-Level Panel on Innovative Partnership Approaches for Conflict Prevention and Peace Conciliation” side-event was H.E. Abshir Omar Jama, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Federal Republic of Somalia and H.E. Dr. Tobias Linder, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Federal Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to peace and justice and experience in forging new paths of cooperation in building peace in his address to the UN General Assembly last year. END

Undersecretary Joahna Paula Domingo (right)  and Assistant Secretary Ria Danielle Lumapas of OSAP with H.E. Abshir Omar Jama, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Federal Republic of Somalia

The Office of the Special Assistant to the President shares experiences in “Redefining Peace Engagement: High-Level Panel on Innovative Partnership Approaches for Conflict Prevention and Peace Conciliation” at the margins of UNGA78 High-level week.