Pasay Declaration key to global cooperation

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday that the Pasay Declaration, forged during the International Conference on Women, Security, and Peace (ICWPS) in Manila, would serve as the «springboard» for global cooperation in promoting women's welfare and empowerment.

Manalo said that on Oct. 28, on the first day of the first-ever ICWPS chaired by the Philippines, ministers and representatives from over 70 United Nations member states adopted by consensus the Pasay Declaration on Women, Peace, and Security.

«The Pasay Declaration gives us a springboard on how we can bring together the various national actions and put them and mold them together into some type of international approach,» Manalo said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo

«We have identified and there are many ways of increasing our commitment to advancing the agenda. I think the Philippines could step in, and our plan is that, for example, in the Declaration, we have recognized the importance of international cooperation, and there's a commitment to work together,» he said. «The most important part is to create greater awareness that this is a global issue which comprises a number of interconnected issues. Women, peace and security, cannot really be attained without the full participation of society.»

He said the Philippines is hopeful that the Pasay Declaration would help guide policy reforms.

The conference featured high-level thematic sessions where ministers and delegates shared invaluable insights, including a «sustainable gender responsive framework in implementing actionable WPS strategy.»

Advertisement

The ICWPS underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation, the need for innovative funding mechanisms and the integration of climate resilience in WPS. «It is central to our collective vision of peace and security,» Manalo said.

«In terms of concrete action, the [Pasay] Declaration commits us to removing barriers in women's full participation to all levels of [decision-making] and in advancing women leadership,» he said.