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Geneva, Switzerland (Reuters) – Menardo I. Guevarra, the Philippines’ Justice Secretary, reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to continuing its long history of constructive engagement with the United Nations (UN), emphasizing that the government’s human rights efforts and investments strengthen national accountability mechanisms “stand to benefit even more from the Joint Program with the UN.”

Guevarra stated the Philippines plans to continue on this engagement track, even if the administration changes in June after the elections, during the High-Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 49th Regular Session on Monday night (PH time).

“However, our country’s unwavering commitment to human rights, anchored as it is in our long history of participation with this Council and reflected in policies that protect and promote our people’s fundamental rights and freedoms, will be unaltered by the passing incumbency of administrations,” he said.

He updated the status of the Department of Justice’s ongoing work on a review panel to look into case files related to the anti-drug campaign, as well as suspected cases of extralegal killings and other grave human rights violations, while emphasizing the Philippines’ willingness to engage in dialogue with UN experts on capacity-building initiatives, such as the 1991 Minnesota Protocol on Investigations of Potentially Unlawful Deaths.

“Our recent experience demonstrates how constructive engagement creates opportunities for the integration of human rights ideals into policies and measures “designed to promote the security of our nation, the peace of our communities, and the safety of our people,” he said, adding that the experience “confirms how constructive engagement can yield valuable dividends towards the protection and promotion of human rights.”

He said the Philippines extended an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression to visit the nation, citing conversations with Norway, Australia, and the United States for assistance to the Joint Program on Human Rights.

He went on to say that the Philippines will continue to engage with the international community and all of its development partners to build on previous achievements and expand honest, open, meaningful, and long-term collaboration in the area of human rights.

Before the United Nations Human Rights Council, he stated that the Philippines’ constructive engagement “would draw the line between parties who engage in good faith and those who abuse and exploit these processes to make demands of accountability with little or no factual basis.”

Because some processes have been exploited by some actors to make unjustified or fraudulent accusations, the Philippines has continually called on the Council to adhere to the highest standards of due diligence and neutrality.

Guevarra is one of 143 heads of state and government, ministers, and other dignitaries who will speak at the Human Rights Council’s 49th Regular Session, which will take place in the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 28 to April 1, 2022.

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