PGMA off to New York Sunday to deliver RP’s M.D.G. mid-term report at U.N. General Assembly

MANILA, Sept. 20 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will fly to New York City Sunday to deliver during the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) the Philippines’ mid-term report on its progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The President will leave Manila Sunday night (Sept. 21) aboard a commercial flight of the Philippine Air Lines (PAL).

The President will be the fourth national leader to speak, a rare honor accorded the Philippines considering that there are more than a hundred out of the 192 member-states whose chief executives will also be attending the event.

“The visit of the President at this time is in the national interest given that the world body will address urgent issues, especially global poverty and hunger situation, as well as the achievement of the MDG, whose resolution is of primary concern to developing countries, including the Philippines,“ Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo has said.

The Philippines is a signatory to the 2000 Millennium which was signed by 189 member-states of the United Nations.

The declaration rolled out the time-bound MDGs as a global agenda for development by 2015. The eight MDGs are: halve extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; gender equality; reduce child mortality; improved women's health; stop and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases; environmental sustainability; and global partnerships for aid, trade and debt relief.

While in New York, the President will also actively participate in the High-Level Debate of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and in other high-level meetings with global leaders to put forward Philippine concerns on key international issues, and to highlight Philippine progress before the international community.

“This will both allow the Philippines to be heard in multilateral diplomacy to address global concerns, and reinforce international confidence in the Philippines, supportive of national development efforts,” Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said in a press conference Wednesday

The President is also scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon with whom she will discuss the MDGs and international cooperation for food and energy, UN Peacekeeping Operations in which the Philippines is an important contributor, as well as the regional situation in Southeast Asia where the Philippines plays a lead role in the ASEAN.

The President will also discuss the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the Special Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development. The Philippines will host the GFMD in October this year, and the NAM in May next year.

President Arroyo will also meet with Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Edmeleddin Ihsanoglu to inform him of her government’s new peace policy that is based on consultation with stake holders in Mindanao.

The President would also “express appreciation to the OIC for its continuing support, and will strengthen the dialogue for peace, indicating also the Philippines commitment to harmonious relations with the Islamic world, reflected in the Philippine request for OIC observer status,” added Dureza.

The President will also push for the candidacy of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for a seat in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ seat is of fundamental interest to the Philippines as it would facilitate Philippine contributions to the progressive development of international law to reflect the perspectives and concerns of developing countries.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) country report on the Philippines last year noted that halfway to the 2015 target year to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Philippines has made considerable progress, particularly in poverty reduction, nutrition, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases and access to safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facility.

But the Philippines needs to work harder on targets concerning universal access to education, maternal mortality and access to reproductive health services, the 2007 UNDP report added.