President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) to be held in New York City from 10 to 24 September, Malacañang said Thursday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will instead lead the Philippine delegation to the UNGA on Marcos’ behalf,

“The President will not be attending the UN General Assembly.  Instead,  he will be ably represented by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo who will articulate the country’s responses to global challenges which we assert should be resolved within the framework of peace and cooperation enshrined in the UN Charter,” Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez told reporters. 

To recall, Marcos previously skipped the 78th UNGA. 

The first day of the high-level General Debate is set on 24 September and to be continued through on 28 September.

On 26 September, the UNGA will hold a High-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the theme: “Investing in the present and securing our future together: Accelerating multi-sectoral global, regional and national actions to address Antimicrobial Resistance.”

The last High-level meeting was held in 2016 which served as “a major milestone for increased political action, research, and private-public partnerships” in the effort to tackle AMR.

The 79th UNGA will conclude on 30 September.