File photo: Ambassador Evan P. Garcia delivers the Statement of the Philippines during the High Level Segment of the 31st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in February 2016.
26 April 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to the Right to Development in a statement delivered by Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, on April 03 at the 18th session of the UN Working Group on the Right to Development.
“The Philippines expressed its reaffirmation to its commitment to the principle that the Right to Development is an inalienable human right, and that the human person is the central subject of development and should be the active participant and beneficiary of the Right to Development,” Ambassador Garcia remarked.
“The Right to Development, as a human right, should be a key concept in framing policies and planning of States as primary duty bearers. In implementing the SDG’s as part of international development policy and political commitment, States must be able to contribute to the realization of the Right to Development,” he added.
The Philippine Government consistently places people first in charting the country’s developmental goals as evidenced by the formulation of the Ambisyon 2040 - the Philippines’ long term development plan - and the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.
At the plenary session, the Philippines also called on all States to continue to constructively engage in the UN Working Group on the Right to Development and enhance joint efforts in addressing international issues that negatively affect development, including climate change and inequitable global commerce and trade relations.
The UN Working Group on the Right to Development is tasked to develop a set of criteria and operational sub criteria to implement the Right to Development. The 18th Session was convened at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from April 03 to 07.
For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/genevapcg.. END