Bongbong mulls attending UN confab
While he has yet to confirm his attendance at the scheduled United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September, president-elect Bongbong Marcos on Friday recognized the importance of the event and expressed his desire to meet with other world leaders.
This developed as UN Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez discussed with him the preparations for this year’s UN General Assembly in New York in the United States (US).
In a press briefing after his private meeting with Marcos, Gonzalez told reporters that the general assembly will focus on the impact of Covid-19 on the world.
“We had the opportunity to start discussing the preparation of the United Nations General Assembly, you know that this will take place in September, and during this general assembly, we will have to transform it into an education summit,” he said.
“It is an opportunity to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 on the education system.”
“This UN General Assembly meeting will be the first time that the President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be in front of an important number of heads of state, so this is a great and I think a historic opportunity for the president and for the Philippines to share the new vision, the new challenges but at the same time the new opportunities,” he added.
Marcos for his part told Gonzalez that “it would be very important to attend and represent the Philippines in the General Assembly and meet with other world leaders.”
Apart from Gonzalez, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines Annika Thunborg, Ambassador of Holy See Charles Brown, and Ambassador of Ireland William Carlos also met with Marcos separately during a series of meetings at his headquarters in Mandaluyong Friday morning.
Gonzalez said he discussed three main points of the UN — human rights, peace and development — with Marcos.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed his commitment, he even shared that he is conducting a number of consultations to ensure the best way of supporting the human rights, so this is quite encouraging as I’ve mentioned, we will reiterate the support of the United Nations (to human rights),” Gonzalez noted.
The two also tackled climate change and the impact of natural disasters.
Despite a standing contempt judgment issued by a US court in connection with a human rights class suit against him, Marcos can freely travel to the US because he is covered by immunity as head of state, according to US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.