UN Philippines, civil society leaders unite to fast-track sustainable development goals
UN 1 - (L-R) UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines Marielle Geraedts, and head of the Human Rights and People’s Empowerment Center Karen Gomez Dumpit together with representatives from civil society organizations pose for a photo during the UN-CSO Engagement Forum on 21 January 2025 in Quezon City, Philippines. The event gathered more than 100 CSOs to establish a collective dialogue and inclusive partnerships for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Framework 2024-2028. Photo by UN Philippines.
MANILA, Philippines – Over 100 civil society organizations (CSOs) from across the Philippines joined the United Nations (UN) on Wednesday in a collaborative effort to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN-Civil Society Engagement Forum provided a platform to address challenges, explore new partnerships, and align priorities under the 2024-2028 UN Cooperation Framework for the country.
“Today’s forum is a critical step to strengthen coalitions with CSOs under our One UN approach. They are an indispensable link between the people and the authorities. By harnessing the insights and expertise of civil society leaders, we can tailor our initiatives to truly address the needs of the most vulnerable," said UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez.
A strong civil space is key for development and the Netherlands will continue to support CSOs and the UN in consolidating their efforts towards common goals, said Ambassador Marielle Geraedts of the Kingdom of Netherlands to the Philippines in her address to the forum.
“The Netherlands proudly supports the UN’s efforts to institutionalize dialogue and consultation with civil society,” she said “The UN’s work remains essential to all this, as it facilitates these partnerships and ensures the global SDG framework stays aligned with the needs of local communities. Together, we can ensure that the SDGs are truly realized and that no one is left behind.”
Forum participants engage in discussions during the breakout sessions of the event. Alignment of their priorities with the UN Cooperation framework, suggestions for policy directives and partnership mechanisms were some of the many topics covered during the huddles. Photo by UN Philippines
The rights-based approach to development requires a strong civil society as distinct from and complementary to the government and business sectors, said Karen Gomez Dumpit of Human Rights and People’s Empowerment Centre during her keynote remarks.
“CSOs work tirelessly on a myriad of fronts, from climate change and biodiversity, to governance, health, education, agriculture, peace, and human rights. This diversity is our greatest asset,” she said.
During the forum, participants provided inputs on how the concerns and realities of their constituents can be addressed with the help of the UN around the thematic areas of inclusive human development, peace and governance, sustainable economic development and climate action.
“Maganda siya, I think maraming representation yung iba-ibang sectors, (It’s good, I think this event has a lot of representation among different sectors.)” according to Sheila Aggaro of the Lifehaven Center for Independent Living (CIL) – a non-profit organization for persons with disabilities (PWD) advocating for independent living and disability inclusion across the country.
She said that events like the UN-CSO Engagement Forum should be cross-cutting because there are PWDs across all sectors of society.
“Sana hindi lang meta level yung participation, but more dun sa specific na engagements. (I hope our level of participation is not just on the meta level, but more on the specific engagements),” Aggaro said.
