UN General Assembly
2013

On behalf of the Philippine Government, I proffer my warmest congratulations to the President on his election. I wish him success and assure him of my country’s steadfast support for his presidency. The theme that has been selected for this session is indeed timely and relevant. We must start setting the stage for the new development agenda that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework. Barely two years before its deadline, considerable work still lies ahead of us. For instance, the global economic and financial crisis has underscored the need for reform towards greater systemic coherence; the multilateral trading system remains frozen in the past; and the persistence of an outdated development paradigm results in policy prescriptions and conditionalities inimical to the interests of many developing countries. As we set the stage for the post-2015 framework, let us reaffirm the very raison d’être of the United Nations, which is to accord every person the opportunity at a life that is secure, progressive and dignified. That purpose is enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and is central