04 April 2016 – Philippine Secretary of Science and Technology Mario G. Montejo led the Philippine delegation to the final Nuclear Security Summit (NSS 2016) hosted by United States President Barack Obama from March 31 to April 01.
The Summit was attended by 52 Heads of State and Ministers including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal.
Secretary Montejo was joined by Philippine Ambassador to Austria Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, Philippine Sherpa and Resident Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency; Dr. Soledad Castañeda of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute; Assistant Secretary Raymund Jose Quilop of the Department of National Defense; and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
At the dinner hosted by President Obama at the White House on March 31, Secretary Montejo called for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He also called on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to adhere to relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to cease its nuclear weapons program.
At the Summit on April 01, Secretary Montejo called for stronger international cooperation and partnership in ensuring that terrorists do not get hold of weapons of mass destruction.
“Domestic frameworks can be further augmented through international cooperation, both at regional and international levels, such as in the UN, APEC and ASEAN. We underscore the importance of the regular exchange of information among countries as a vital tool to thwart terrorist objectives.”
The Summit adopted a Joint Communique that will advance tangible improvements in nuclear security behavior and strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. It also endorsed the Action Plans for five key international organizations and institutions namely: International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations, INTERPOL, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, and Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. The Action Plans reflect the intent of countries, in their roles as members of these organizations, to strengthen their contributions to nuclear security. END
