Statement of

H.E. ENRIQUE A. MANALO,

Secretary of Foreign Affairs

on the Occasion of the

International Day for Disarmament

and Non-Proliferation Awareness

(As Delivered)

The Filipino people envision a just and humane international order, inasmuch as we work for a just and humane society at home. These twin aspirations drive our abiding commitment to international peace and security and for people-centered sustainable development. 

Our commitment has a long history. The Philippines helped build the rules-based international order as a founding member of the United Nations. We advocated the peaceful resolution of disputes through the adoption of the Manila Declaration in 1982. 

In our Constitution, we renounce war as an instrument of national policy and assert that nothing ever justifies the use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. 

At the same time, we support the inalienable right of all nations, especially developing countries, to the peaceful uses of technologies. We recognize that this right comes with the responsibility to prevent the proliferation of weapons that undermine the security, safety, and development of peoples and communities. 

At the last United Nations General Assembly, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the “need to update global structures that facilitate international cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, biology, chemistry…and to govern the rapid advances in other areas.” 

New and emerging technologies, including those in cyber- and outer space, as well as artificial intelligence, must be used for the common good, and in a manner that protects our common humanity.  

These convictions inspire us to engage with like-minded partners to build and strengthen the global governance architecture for disarmament and non-proliferation. 

On this International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, the Philippines reaffirms our commitment to work for a secure and safe world that allows all nations to thrive in peace.