PH Reaffirms Commitment to UNESCO and Support to the New Director-General

Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro delivers the Philippine statement during the 204th session of the UNESCO Executive Board (photo credits: http://www.unesco.org)

11 April 2018 PARIS – Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro reaffirmed the commitment of the Philippines to the principles and objectives of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) when she delivered the Philippine statement during the plenary debate of the 204th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board on 09 April.

In her statement, Ambassador Lazaro highlighted that in the beginning of 2018, the Philippines already hosted two meetings in cooperation with the organization: the Policy Forum on Using Open School Data to Improve Transparency and Accountability in Education, and the Workshop Dealing with the DarkNet: Measures to Prevent Violent Extremism. She also expressed the Philippines’ interest in becoming a member of the Education 2030 Steering Committee, especially since the Administration of President Duterte allotted the largest portion of its national budget to education.

Ambassador Lazaro also conveyed support to the leadership of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. She noted that the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda can help focus UNESCO’s work for greater impact and efficiency. She acknowledged the Director-General’s proposal for a strategic transformation of UNESCO, and underscored that the intergovernmental nature of UNESCO, inclusivity, and equitable geographic representation at all levels of the organization should be fundamental principles of the reform.

With respect to the Annual Programme Implementation Report, Ambassador Lazaro reiterated the view of member states that there is a need to better measure the concrete impacts of the organization’s programs and field offices on the ground. She emphasized that UNESCO must be needs-driven, instead of donor-driven. She also called for the implementation of the recommendations of the Open-Ended Working Group on Governance endorsed by the General Conference.

The Philippines was elected as member of the UNESCO Executive Board in November 2017. As member of the Board, the Philippines pledged to work on enhancing the capacity of member states, particularly developing countries, in order to achieve sustainable development and lasting peace and security. The Philippines also aims to work on improving the efficiency and governance procedures of the organization.

The Philippines will serve on the UNESCO Executive Board until 2021. END

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