By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
The Philippines called for disputes and conflicts to be resolved through diplomacy and international law rather than force, warning that ongoing conflicts, including those in the Middle East and Ukraine, are taking a toll on the global economy.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro made the call in her address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on Saturday, where she noted that more than 50 conflicts are taking place worldwide as geopolitical competition intensifies and undermines multilateral institutions.
“When more than 645 million people face hunger, when our climate remains in a state of calamity, and when our collective conscience is stained by humanitarian catastrophes, reflection must give way to urgent, united resolve,” she said.
“We cannot continue down fragmented paths in an interconnected world,” she added.
Lazaro said continued disruptions to maritime traffic in the Middle East alone could trigger an energy emergency in the Philippines, while the war in Ukraine is compounding the global food crisis and economic shocks unseen since the Second World War.
“Peace, therefore, is not merely the absence of war. It is our shared and indivisible responsibility,” she said.
On Gaza, Lazaro reiterated Manila’s call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the release of all hostages, while urging all parties to comply with international law and return to dialogue.
She reaffirmed Manila’s support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. She said a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side, is the “only viable path to lasting and durable peace.”
Lazaro said Manila’s approach to peace also applies to maritime disputes, emphasizing that international law must remain every nation’s “guiding lighthouse,” including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
She cited the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award as a demonstration of “how international law provides states with peaceful means to clarify rights and resolve differences.”
“The Philippines stands firm in its conviction that disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and law, not violence and might,” she said.
Lazaro also called for a stronger UN to address threats to international peace and security and backed calls for greater representation at the Security Council.
“We need to reflect deeply on the promises of our charter and on the state of our fractured world. We must actively seek collective pathways that transcend borders and bridge divides,” she said.
“And above all, you must always put a face to what we do, remembering that every policy, every treaty, and every institutional reform is ultimately about real human lives.
