PH Mission in Geneva Advances Foreign Service and Migrant Welfare Concerns with PH Executive Secretary
Community members in Geneva and Lausanne have a photo opportunity with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and spouse, Aurora (center, and 4th from right, respectively) and Permanent Representative Carlos Sorreta (4th from left) and spouse, Maria Consuelo Sorreta (3rd from right), and DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez (2nd from right).
GENEVA 13 December 2023 – Philippine Permanent Representative Carlos D. Sorreta welcomed Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin to the Philippine Chancery in Geneva by hosting him in back-to-back events held on 10 December 2023: 1) virtual meet and greet with the Philippine Ambassadors/ Heads of Posts in Europe (HOPs), and 2) town hall meeting with the different Filipino community associations from the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud.
Executive Secretary Bersamin, together with the Philippine delegation composed of Department of Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, Assistant Secretary Al-Azree Mohammadsali, and Director Naereeza Bainto, is in Geneva to represent the Philippine in the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR75) at the Palais de Nations.
During the online meeting with the HOPs, each Ambassador/Head of Post provided a presentation on the political, economic, and security considerations in their respective Posts, including recommendations to enhance bilateral relations between the host country and the Philippines, economic and trade opportunities, and concerns related to overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers. The Heads of Posts also submitted to Executive Secretary Bersamin their joint recommendation for the improvement in the operations and management of the foreign service and the welfare of its personnel.
Permanent Representative Sorreta then underscored the importance of participative and open dialogue during the town hall meeting with the Filipino community members who were represented by the Board of the Ugnayan Bayan, those living in Geneva and Lausanne, and those actively employed in the United Nations and other international organizations.
Permanent Representative Sorreta cited the Mission’s active engagement with the community to advance personal freedoms and uplift the discourse between the community members and visiting ranking government officials. He mentioned that the participation of Executive Secretary Bersamin in the UDHR75 commemorative activities indicates the high level of commitment that the Philippines bestows on the universality and indivisibility of human rights, while attending to the community’s concerns.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary Bersamin assured community members that the Philippine government is actively promoting human rights, in partnership with the UN, through the implementation of the Joint Programme on Human Rights, an innovative initiative to ongoing efforts to strengthen our domestic accountability mechanisms. Moreover, he said that the country’s democratic institutions remain strong and dispense justice without fear or discrimination based on the belief in equality before the law, integrity, gender responsiveness, and the primacy of human rights.
Executive Secretary Bersamin also underscored that migrant welfare is a priority of the administration that believes in securing employment benefits and protection, wherever migrants are found. He mentioned that in the United Nations, the PH is a champion for safe, orderly and regular migration – a recognition of the country’s leadership, innovative practices, and balanced approach to migration.
The recent activities in Geneva on the occasion of Executive Secretary Bersamin’s visit contributes to the implementation by the Mission of a community-oriented educational awareness campaign based on the public diplomacy mandate that delves into national issues and enriched by the participation of and between community members, the Mission, and visiting government officials who can provide a highly nuanced approach towards domestic events and government priorities for the benefit of stakeholders abroad. END
Permanent Representative Sorreta cited the importance of open dialogue between the community and government officials in his Remarks and introduced ES Lucas Bersamin to the community.
PermRep Carlos D. Sorreta presides over the meeting in honor of Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin with the participation of about 24 Ambassadors/ Heads of Post serving in Europe.
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