A person departs the United Nations (UN) headquarters building in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, March 1, 2022. (REUTERS FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The European Union and the United Nations in the Philippines launched a forum on multilateralism, seeking to emphasize the importance of global partnerships and cooperation in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
The forum titled Multilateral Responses to Global Challenges: Building Back Together for Peace and Prosperity was held on Thursday, October 19.
The principal goal of the event is to highlight and strengthen the collaborations between the United Nations and partners in government, civil society, private sector and the international community.
During the event, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron stressed the “important multilateral support” for the peace process in Mindanao.
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He also underscored that “sustainable peace is critical to achieving sustainable development.”
“More than ever, we need to have a well-functioning, rules-based international order with an effective United Nations at its core,” said Veron.
He then cited the upcoming Green Economy Programme, which will support the Philippine transition to a circular economy with collaboration with the European Union member states and the United Nations.
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In the same forum, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzales said there is a pressing need to establish a “new generation of multilateralism” amid evolving global conflicts.
“We have to admit that the multilateral system is at greater strain now than at any other time since the creation of the United Nations,” he said.
Gustavo then stressed that the effectiveness of our multilateral system will be measured by whether it will lead to a safe, healthy, and inclusive world for the present and future generations.