PH Participates in 2019 Pacific Environmental Security Forum

From left: Commander Lazaro Ernesto Valdez Jr. of National Coast Watch Center, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand Winston Peters, Department of Foreign Affairs- Office of United Nations and International Organizations Executive Director Roberto G. Manalo, and Colonel Noel Vistuir of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Colin McDiarmid photo)

WELLINGTON 29 May 2019 — The Philippine delegation conveyed interest in the transformation of the annual Pacific Environmental Security Forum (PESF) into a formal regional multilateral organization in its participation in this year’s forum held on 21-24 May 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand.

The Philippine delegation added that the group be called the Pacific Environmental Security Partnership (PESP) in the near future. Noting the absence of any global-level initiative in the UN in pushing this important sectoral issue, the Philippine delegation encouraged the PESF organizers to pursue this initiative at the regional Indo-Pacific level in order to progressively gather a critical mass of like-minded countries that could potentially become PESP country partners.

Jointly organized by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), the Forum provided a regional platform for countries to tackle issues relating to climate change, resource and food security, and national disaster as well as to share best practices as a way to build a network of both civilian and military environmental security practitioners.

The Forum aimed to increase the countries’ understanding of environmental stewardship obligations among militaries in the Indo-Pacific region, and a multilateral civil-military organization focused on addressing environmental threats, forging collaborative partnerships, sharing information and resources, and developing strategy that advances the Indo-Pacific region’s resiliency against climate change threats to human security. END

Philippine representatives with New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark.

Participants of the 2019 Pacific Environmental Security Forum. (Justin Pummell photo)