In steady hands

In an assembly dominated by male delegates, it’s once again uplifting to see women heads of state, foreign ministers and country representatives stand and speak at the iconic podium of the UN General Assembly. Our Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, took the honor of conveying at the world stage the Philippines’ national statement during the General Debate of the UN’s 80th General Assembly.

At a time when all is not quiet elsewhere in the world, including in our home front, our country’s top diplomat spoke about our values that are deeply embedded in the aspirations of the UN charter. The Philippines is, after all, one of the 51 founding members of the UN.

I watched our foreign affairs secretary’s speech through the UN live webcast. Like the messenger, the message serves as a wellspring of hope, particularly at a time when we are inundated with a deluge of polarizing ideas. Such messages enliven one’s patriotic spirit and provide us a compass of how we as citizens could participate in nation building.

Peace is at the core of SFA’s message. Yet paradoxically, peace is one of the most elusive quests for the 193 members of the UN. Because at every word uttered about peace, somewhere in the vicinity of the UN headquarters are groups of activists rallying for the end to wars. Within the halls of the GA, a good number of representatives of member-states walked out to support the creation of a Palestinian state.

Precisely why SFA Lazaro voiced a clarion call for peace. Referring to the “40,000 cases of violations against children in armed conflict,” she lamented that this unprecedented record in 30 years “is unconscionable.” I was haunted by painful images of children of war I see and read in the news every day.

I read a UNICEF report from January to June 2025 on the “State of Palestine” that 1.7 million children need humanitarian assistance. From Oct. 7, 2023, there have been “over 50,000 children casualties, 17,000 killed and 34,000 injured” in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF also reported that in the first half of 2025, more than half a million children (over 253,000 girls and 252,000 boys) were screened for acute malnutrition.

A New York Times investigative story on “The Trauma of Childhood in Gaza” tells of a 12-year-old girl named Rahma, whose life has become one of hunger. Like thousands of children, she’s lucky to have one meal a day, consisting mainly of pasta and lentils. If given the choice between crayons and bread, she would choose bread. School for them is now a memory.

I wonder how leaders of countries at war feel about this reality. Are they not horrified? What has become of their sense of compassion?Or have they become so jaded to think of helpless children as mere statistics?

It was against the backdrop of the unthinkable consequences of war did SFA Lazaro reiterate our “covenant for peace.”As our country vies for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the period 2027 to 2028, our foreign secretary said that we anticipate the “solemn honor of serving this body.” Should the Philippines’ candidature succeed, our SFA decisively articulated: “We recognize the weight of the responsibility of the Security Council. When it acts for the interest of humanity, it is a fulcrum of change, a force for good and a bastion of hope for populations trapped in hopeless situations.”

SFA Lazaro expounded on how middle-income countries like the Philippines play a crucial role in helping achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals, highlighting that “together, we are the fastest growing economies, the largest consumer markets and the top sources of human capital.”

As she spoke of where we stand in global developments, SFA Lazaro acknowledged the roles of people, economies and technologies.  She hailed Filipino migrants as agents of growth and how our compatriots “support health systems, advance education and boost creative economies.” She cited how, at the International Conference on Seafarers’ Human Rights, Safety and Well-being held in Manila recently, states and stakeholders affirmed readiness to do more for the “1.9 million seafarers as the backbone of maritime trade that accounts for 90 percent of global commerce.”

In addressing the world stage, SFA Lazaro was clad in a black dress (the color of strength) and a light blue blazer (the color of the UN) made from Philippine fabric.  One could sense the gravity and sincerity of her message when she affirmed: “There is no alternative to the United Nations.”

The photos I have seen of SFA Lazaro – from the opening ceremony to the sidelines of the high-level week, remind me of subtle messages diplomats deliver either through symbolic fashion or accessories. Former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright was said to have used the expressive power of a piece of jewelry – the pin or brooch – to communicate a message during her diplomatic term.

From how I viewed them, the style and colors of SFA Lazaro’s suits and dresses exude both savoir-faire and indefatigability (I learned she attended at least 35 bilateral meetings, during which she was also complimented by her counterparts for her stylish outfits).

Toward the end of her address, SFA Lazaro tactfully said that amid threats of foreign encroachment, as a maritime country, we remain relentless in abiding by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) “as reinforced by the binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.”

While our ships and boats are literally rocked and countries of the world face the promises and threats of AI, SFA Lazaro assured the international community, “we offer steady hands” in Philippine missions and offices where we unwaveringly advance the goals of the UN. Then she took inspiration from General Carlos P. Romulo’s words at the First UNGA in 1946 – that our stake in the UN as a nation is one of “an identical destiny, of shared anxiety, of hope and endeavor.”