Ambassador Evan P. Garcia (center), Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, delivers the Philippine Statement during the General Debate of the UN Economic and Social Council Humanitarian Affairs Segment (ECOSOC HAS) on 21 June 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. Also in photo is Minister Maria Angela Ponce of the Philippine Permanent Mission in New York (left).

27 June 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Philippines joined the international community in calling for collective humanitarian action to leave no one behind in addressing humanitarian crises.

“We call on all to respond to our collective duty of building a safer and more resilient international community, fully dedicated to a collective work of leaving no one behind,” stressed Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, during the General Debate which started this afternoon at the UN Economic and Social Council Humanitarian Affairs Segment (ECOSOC HAS) in Geneva.

Emphasizing that the Philippine government attaches paramount importance to humanitarian action, Ambassador Garcia said that the Philippines continues to ensure alignment of its legal framework with the Sendai Framework and other key post-2015 development processes, putting at its core a “whole-of-society” approach to humanitarian challenges at all levels.

He stressed that mutual trust and confidence, respect for national sovereignty, and collaborative attitudes among stakeholders are keys to strengthening joint humanitarian action. He also highlighted the need to pay the same attention to conflict and security, especially in responding to humanitarian emergencies in urban settings.

Also attending the ECOSOC HAS 2017 in Geneva is Minister Maria Angela Ponce of the Philippine Permanent Mission in New York, who co-facilitated with Switzerland, the negotiations in New York of the ECOSOC HAS draft resolution on “Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance of the United Nations”.                                                                         

Member States, UN agencies, humanitarian and development organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders are attending the ECOSOC HAS in Geneva until Friday, 23 June, to discuss emerging and pressing humanitarian issues and find ways to strengthen coordination of humanitarian assistance.

For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/genevapcg. END