Philippines Pushes for Greater South-South Cooperation at Colombo Plan 48th Consultative Committee Meeting

Participants of Colombo Plan 48th Consultative Committee Meeting on 30 May 2024 with 16 countries represented. (Photo credit: Colombo Plan Secretariat)

ULAANBAATAR 06 June 2024 – The Philippines reaffirmed its strong engagement with the Colombo Plan as part of the country’s advocacy to strengthen south-south cooperation (SSC) and partnerships among middle income countries (MICs), as well as to integrate SSC in policies and strategies of United Nations bodies.

This was the main message of the Philippine Delegation to the Colombo Plan 48th Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM48) held on 30-31 May 2024 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  The PhilDel was led by Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa T. Almojuela of the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO).

Assec. Almojuela stressed that the Philippines, as a staunch supporter of multilateralism, remains committed to the Colombo Plan’s founding principles, particularly in the key areas of drug advisory, gender affairs, climate change and environment, and capacity building.

“As the Colombo Plan continues to evolve, it must remain true to the core objectives of the organization to promote the development of Asia and the Pacific through technical cooperation.  CP activities can have a more programmatic approach, including in the climate and environment program.  The Philippines will offer a program on biodiversity for implementation in 2025,” the Assistant Secretary shared.

She further elaborated that, “one critical area for capacity building is facilitating access of member states to climate finance. Colombo Plan can leverage engagement with UN agencies and regional bodies including ASEAN centers for excellence.”

This is in line with the Philippines proposed program on gender and youth-inclusive biodiversity in 2025 using the expertise of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) under the environment and climate-change work stream of the Colombo Plan.  Assec. Almojuela added that, “the Philippines will explore future engagements between the Colombo Plan and international organizations hosted by the Philippines.”

In the exchange of views concerning the CCM48 theme, Assec. Almojuela shared, “the Philippines, under President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ administration, has implemented an anti-illegal drug campaign program in the country under the fully-government policy-rights based approach with the people at its center, focusing on rehabilitation, reintegration, and preventive education programs especially for the young people.”

She also expressed full support to the Mongolian Government and member states in cooperating closely on the drug program along with other development-oriented workstreams of the Colombo Plan.

The Colombo Plan, established in July 1951, is one of the oldest international organizations.  It was formed with a vision of self-help and mutual help for the socio-economic development of its member countries.  It has expanded to 28 member countries, with the Philippines becoming a member in 1954, including non-Commonwealth countries and countries belonging to regional groupings such as Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Colombo Plan’s current Secretary General, Dr. Benjamin Reyes, is a Filipino.

CCM48, with the theme “Envisioning a Region with Joint Forces Against Drugs: Stronger Through Prevention and Treatment”, was hosted by Mongolia’s Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, gave member states the opportunity to provide inputs, ideas, recommendations, and views to develop a strategy to chart the Colombo Plan’s future, particularly updating its organizational work and structure, increasing visibility and engaging inactive members.

The Philippines also takes pride in being the country host of the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), an autonomous specialized agency of the Colombo Plan that evolved from a regional center for technician teachers’ training to a Center of Excellence in human resources development through technical vocational education and training (TVET).

Assec. Almojuela also took the opportunity to invite the Colombo Plan Secretariat and member states to participate in international conferences to be hosted by the Philippines, including the “Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction,” the “International Conference on Women, Peace and Security” both to be held in October 2024, as well as the Conference of Middle-Income Countries (MICs) in February 2025.  END

DFA-UNIO Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa T. Almojuela delivers the Philippine intervention at the Colombo Plan 48th Consultative Committee Meeting. (Photo credits: Mongolia’s TENGER Television, 30 May 2024)