Allow me to convey the
greetings of the Filipino people to the President of the
General Assembly and the representatives gathered
here for the sixty-fifth session of the Assembly.
The United Nations was founded on the belief
that in collective action lies collective security. It is
when nations reach across their borders that the
immense problems of our age begin to be manageable.
In a world that has become increasingly globalized, the
challenges that we face have become globalized as
well. Climate change; pandemics; terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction; transnational organized
crime such as human trafficking and the illicit drug
trade; the continuing vulnerability of migrants, women,
persons with disabilities and the poor; and the
challenges posed by increasingly interconnected
economies — all call for a further strengthening of
international cooperation.
All of us here, representing our respective
nations, are stewards entrusted with the well-being of
our respective peoples. We are also required to be
responsible and responsive members of the community
of nations. Clearly, we are already aware that the
problem of one poses a problem for all. Any solution,
then, depends on us recognizing that each one of our
nations exists, not in a vacuum, but rather in an
increasingly interdependent global milieu.
The central revelation here is that for humanity to
progress, all nations must progress as one. The quest
for universal human dignity should not be defined by
geographical, racial or cultural boundaries, nor should
it be set back by our desires to move our own nations
forward. Global progress means equitable progress.
The industrialized nations of the world can look with
pride on the living standards their peoples enjoy. But,
as one of my distinguished predecessors once said:
“Those who have less in life should have more in law”.
This basic principle of social justice is also the
most basic humanitarian challenge of our times. The
wealth of nations must become an instrument to move
the world further along the straight and righteous path
of compassion and communal responsibility. The
message is clear: there are those who need help, and
acting with compassion towards those who need help is
a response that is both humane and necessary. This idea
has been trumpeted for decades, and yet combating
inequality remains one of the greatest challenges of our
times. The chasm between the powerful and the
powerless, the haves and the have-nots remains to be
bridged. The past century has demonstrated, in terms
so stark that it inspired the creation of this
Organization, that when the mighty clash, those who
have less end up trampled. This is true where conflict
exists and true where markets exist; true in our nation
and true in an international context.
The concept of vulnerability and inequality is all
too clear in the global effort to address climate change.
Those who stand to lose much, if not everything, from
the effects of man-induced climatic conditions are
those who did little to cause it. There is an enormous
need to ensure, as a matter of justice, that countries,
particularly those that are vulnerable, are assisted in
their adaptation and disaster risk-reduction efforts and
are provided the necessary resources to build climate-
resilient communities. This should go hand in hand
with ambitious commitments by major economies to
significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Many of you may say that you have already given
mightily of your resources. But surely we do not need
flood and famine to remind us that there is so much
more that must be given, because there are so many
more who deserve the hope of a better life.
The most immediate focus of cooperation
demanded of us today is to collectively ensure that the
eight Millennium Development Goals will be achieved
by all in the remaining five years. That is a daunting
task, and we are all aware that national resolve has to
be complemented by bilateral, regional and multilateral
cooperation.
Rising to the challenges of our era requires,
within each of our countries, a strengthened regulatory
system. This does not mean a cumbersome, intrusive
Government, but rather a Government that allows
private enterprise to thrive, while ensuring that it
remains cognizant of its social responsibilities and
empowers it, in turn, to fulfil those responsibilities.
Many Governments are tackling this challenge,
including the Government of the Philippines. Our
Administration pledges to channel any gains we reap
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from public-private partnerships into social services,
like those in health, education and poverty alleviation.
Across boundaries, the battle against inequality
requires a balanced approach from those in authority.
We should be conscious of our responsibilities to our
own people and of our duties to regions and the globe.
Already we are witnessing a rethinking of traditional
paradigms, a shifting of our focus towards ensuring
that the global system does not leave anyone behind.
And while my nation continues to benefit from
the compassion of those who are able to help, this does
not mean that we or our friends in the developing
world will be entirely dependent on the largesse of the
developed world. We will not be passive players in our
quest for development. My nation remains active in the
Group of 77 and in other efforts aimed at enhancing
South-South cooperation and articulating and
promoting our collective economic interests.
This is what our people put us in power for. This
is what the world expects of us as leaders — to be
exemplars of what it is to be compassionate human
beings and vanguards of hope for our common
humanity. For is not this hope also the hope that unites
us as human beings? It is the same hope that allows us
to break down walls of mistrust, which may take the
form of intolerance, fear or violence. It is the same
hope that leads us to gather in this Hall as our
predecessors did. It is the same hope that will give our
generation of leaders the strength to elevate this global
Assembly to a place where, collectively, the nations of
the world are able to find ways to make a better life
possible for all.
There have been many times in our history when
my people have shown that, united, nothing is
impossible. We call it “people power”. It is my earnest
hope and in the greatest interests of humanity that we
harness the energies of dialogue, solidarity and
communal responsibility so that a global “people
power” towards equitable progress may be achieved.