For a country that is pinning its hopes on international arbitration to define its maritime entitlements, the Philippines should be celebrating the founding of the United Nations.
Friday marked the 69th year since the UN Charter came into force, and the 66th celebration of United Nations Day. Oct. 24 is not a public holiday in the Philippines, as the UN General Assembly had exhorted member states in 1971 to observe. But the Philippines has ratified numerous UN treaties covering a wide range of issues from human rights to trade, public health, climate change, human trafficking and, more recently, fighting corruption.
The Philippines has committed to achieve UN Millennium Development Goals – a to-do list for alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life around the planet. The country also participates in UN activities, including peacekeeping missions in conflict zones, “in common cause with the world for the common good,” as described by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
There has been no day without armed conflict somewhere around the planet, but there has been no world war since the end of the last one in 1945. Surely the creation of the United Nations helped in this aspect. International cooperation has helped in law enforcement, environmental protection as well as empowerment of women, the youth and marginalized sectors.
The UN has also provided mechanisms for settling disputes between states based on international rules. Nations turn to these rules for guidelines on responsible behavior as members of the UN community. There will never be a lack of challenges for the world. The existence of the UN makes it easier to deal with the challenges.