Philippines, alongside ASEAN, Champions Global Disarmament at the 78th UNGA Session

At the General Debate of the United Nations First Committee on 3 October 2023, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ariel Rodelas Peñaranda, on behalf of the Philippines, emphasizes the need for robust multilateralism amid challenging geopolitical tensions and highlights the essential work of the First Committee in securing an enduring global peace and security (New York PM Photo).

NEW YORK 09 October 2023 — During the First Committee General Debate of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ariel Rodelas Peñaranda, delivered both the Philippine and ASEAN statements advocating stronger global disarmament commitments, particularly concerning nuclear weapons.

Speaking on behalf of the Philippines, Deputy Permanent Representative Peñaranda expressed deep concern over the prevailing nuclear rhetoric and the modernization of nuclear arsenals that challenge global peace efforts. Echoing the statement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. at the 77th United Nations General Assembly in 2022, Deputy Permanent Representative Peñaranda said, "These developments undermine our shared aspiration for a world free of nuclear weapons. We must abandon the concept of deterrence and steadfastly work towards decreasing the global stockpile of nuclear weapons."

In its statement, the Philippines reaffirmed the commitment to various international disarmament agreements, noting that it ratified the Arms Trade Treaty and the CCW Protocol V last year, making the Philippines one of the few countries that are States Parties to all humanitarian disarmament conventions. Deputy Permanent Representative Peñaranda also highlighted the nation's ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and emphasized its complementarity with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). "The NPT remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime," he remarked, urging all States Parties to renew their commitments to these essential disarmament instruments.

Beyond nuclear disarmament, the Philippines articulated its commitment to broader disarmament challenges, including the regulation of conventional weapons, the potential weaponization of outer space, and the critical necessity for global governance regimes to adapt to advancing technologies.

Deputy Permanent Representative Peñaranda particularly stressed, "We call for continuous, open dialogue and the building of trust and confidence among nations to reinforce mutual understanding, leading us towards enduring peace and security."

In a separate statement on 2 October 2023, Deputy Permanent Representative Peñaranda, on behalf of ASEAN, emphasized the need for unity and cooperation among nations and ASEAN’s readiness to engage with other Member States towards a safer and more peaceful global order. He underscored ASEAN’s collective apprehensions about the diminishing international commitment to disarmament, especially from Nuclear Weapon States. ASEAN emphasized its persistent concern “about the dire consequences of any use of nuclear weapons on people’s health, socio economic livelihood, environment, and sustainable development."

Consistent with global concerns, ASEAN's statement resonated with calls for structure, accountability, and "concrete, measurable, timebound actions on nuclear disarmament with established deadlines."

Furthermore, ASEAN emphasized its commitment to broader disarmament endeavors, stressing the importance of the peaceful use of outer space and the necessity for robust regulations around conventional weapons.

Both the Philippine and ASEAN statements underscored the critical need for renewed global commitments and tangible steps towards disarmament, highlighting a collective aspiration for a global environment free from the threat of nuclear weapons. END

For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpm.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.un.int/philippines or https://www.facebook.com/PHMissionNY/.