PH Participates in Second Edition of the Paris Peace Forum

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Hon. Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. (right) and his chief of staff and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the eace Process (OPAPP) spokesperson Wilben M. Mayor, represent the Philippine Government in the 2019 Paris Peace Forum. (Paris PE photo)

PARIS 04 DECEMBER 2019 — The Philippines was represented in the second edition of the Paris Peace Forum through the participation of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., and his chief of staff and the office’s spokesperson, Director Wilben Mayor, held from 12 to 13 November 2019 at the La Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris.

Secretary Galvez was able to attend the opening ceremony on November 12 wherein President Emmanuel Macron of France as well as other world leaders including the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi; Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan; and the President-Elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen were present.

Throughout the two-day forum, the Philippine delegation chose to participate in several dialogues/discussions on particular topics that were most relevant to the Philippine context. The Secretary had noted how the country’s experiences in its own peace processes could certainly enrich the Paris Peace Forum’s upcoming editions.

Following the tradition of inviting delegations to deposit at the forum’s Peace Globe, a universal art work which evokes peace or solutions to our world challenges, Secretary Galvez turned over the book entitled, “147 Days to Liberation: The Fight for Marawi in Images” on the Marawi Siege of 2017.

According to its official website, “the Paris Peace Forum is held every year on 11 to 13 November in Paris with the aim to place global governance at the top of the international agenda. Stakeholders discuss global governance issues and cooperate on solutions through three spaces namely: space for Solutions; space for Debates; and space for Innovations. It is also a resource to help implement and scale-up the most promising governance projects".

In the closing ceremony of the forum, it was noted that this 2019 edition had an estimated 7,000 participants with 140 countries represented. It was attended by 33 heads of state and government and 12 international organizations. Out of 114 projects showcased at the forum, ten had been selected as having the “best fit” with the aims of the Paris Peace Forum Scale-Up Committee, which will provide mentorship and support to the project proponents. END

Left photo: a video interview with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr explaining the choice for the book on the Marawi siege. Center photo: A photo of the cover of “147 Days to Liberation: The Fight for Marawi in Images”. Right photo: Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. gives a symbolic gesture in the forum’s Peace Globe held from 12 to 13 November 2019 at the La Grande Halle de La Villette. (Paris PE photo)

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr (center) and the Philippine delegation (second from right), the Paris Peace Forum with First Secretary Christina Rola McKernan (second from left) and Col. Romeo Macapaz from the Philippine Embassy in Paris (rightmost) at the Peace Globe of the Paris Peace Forum on 13 November 2019. (Paris PE photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.parispe.dfa.gov.ph, http://www.facebook.com/PHinFrance or https://twitter.com/PHinFrance.