Drug war serves UN goals

Illegal drugs is a social illness that breeds corruption and tears apart the fabric of the society.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo made the case for the Philippines’ sovereign thrust in eradicating the drugs problem while fulfilling United Nations commitment.

The government’s conduct of its anti-narcotics campaign was in accordance to the country’s shared goal of meeting United Nation (UN) development targets, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said during the celebration of the 74th UN Day.

Speaking before diplomats, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo assured the international body that the government is taking a holistic approach in the flagship pursuit of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Recognizing that the menace of illegal drugs is a social illness that breeds corruption and tears apart the fabric of the society, the Philippines is adopting a holistic and comprehensive approach in its anti-illegal drugs campaign. This encompasses both supply reduction and law enforcement as well as protection and rehabilitation,” Manalo said in a speech delivered in behalf of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

“And to ensure accountable and transparent institution, the Philippines has domestic mechanisms in place to safeguard and ensure accountability especially in the anti-illegal drugs campaign,” he added.

The DFA official said when members of the UN meet on various issues, there are of course differences “and that’s where we have to work it out, so now obviously the Philippines is still very committed to supporting the UN system and its charter,” Manalo explained.

He noted the Iceland-led resolution that sought an investigation on the drug war “was really very helpful” and that the Philippines is very much an active participant in the human rights council by supporting several UN human rights declarations and treaties.

“So, we do have a lot of cooperation with the UN, but of course naturally that resolution we feel was unfounded and really unnecessary. But aside from that, our relation with the UN has been very productive in the years ever since it was founded,” Manalo underscored.

In a message to the Sustainable Development Forum in Beijing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also stressed on Thursday the need for member nations to help most vulnerable people.

President Rodrigo Duterte has maintained that the campaign against narcotics was meant to protect the young generation of Filipinos.

Guterres’ message, delivered by Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, called for a decade of action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“Let us be clear: we are off track. Deadly conflicts, the climate crisis, gender-based violence, rising hunger and persistent inequalities are undermining efforts to achieve the Goals by 2030,” according to Guterres.

On Thursday night, the DFA and the UN led the celebration of the 74th United Nations Day with the theme of “Ushering in the Decade of Action for Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Manalo, likewise, reiterated the state’s commitment to participate in crafting multilateral policies.

“We in the Philippines reaffirm our commitment to the United Nation’s founding principles and of course its continuing and growing relevance and importance in a world that is marked by rapid shifts, changes and increasingly complex challenges,” he said.

“We are also one of the founding members. Our active participation in the United Nations has always been and shall always be an indispensable part of Philippine foreign policy,” he added.

Manalo also pointed out that the cooperation between the Philippines and the UN gear towards achieving the millennium and SDG.

“Over the years, the Philippines, the United Nations and the United Nations system have exhibited an ever-growing relationship through various programs and commitments that are mutually beneficial and more recently the achievement of the millennium development goals and the sustainable development goals,” he said.

UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Ola Almgren said the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), nonetheless, will take up the Iceland-led resolution that seeks to probe the government’s drug war, but the government will have the chance to present its side when the body convenes next year.

“The only update I can share (is) that there will be a report and that report will be presented back to member-states next year and the Philippines will be heard for its view as an input to that report,” Almgren revealed.

The UN officials said UNHRC High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet Jeria was asked to finish a report to be submitted before the council next year as part of the process.

“The high commissioner has now been asked to prepare a report and come back to the council next year on that, so I presume that that’s in process,” she said.

Recently, the UNHRC has adopted an Iceland-initiated resolution which seeks an investigation on the administration’s drug war after member-countries voted 18-14 last 11 July in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 18 countries who voted in favor of the Iceland resolution were Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Uruguay.

Almgren said the UN acknowledges illegal drugs is a problem in society and the body helps by finding out ways to assist those who are suffering from addiction and rehabilitate them to bring them back to a drug-free society.