FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday assured United Nations Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights Ian Fry of Manila’s full support to his mandate as he officially embarked on a 10-day official visit to the country from November 6 to 15.
During Fry’s call on Manalo yesterday, the discussion focused on Philippine support for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, which was established by the Human Rights Council in 2021 following discussions on climate change and human rights in the Council that were shepherded by the Philippines, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Fry was appointed as the first Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change in March 2022. He has also visited Bangladesh and Honduras.
“Secretary Manalo underscored the priority that the Philippines attaches to climate action under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He cited the role of the Special Rapporteur in promoting informed global discussions and driving consensus on issues like climate finance, including loss-and-damage financing mechanism, which the Philippines has been pushing with other developing countries for some time now,” the DFA said in a statement after the meeting.
Manalo, the DFA said, also highlighted Philippine leadership in championing climate justice, disaster risk resilience and climate adaptation, including through its participation in the advisory opinion proceedings by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and hosting of the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference in 2024.
Remulla exchanged views with Fry on key features of the national policy framework as he expressed the hope that the UN special rapporteur’s programs would enable him to appreciate the Philippine government’s achievements and best practices in promoting and protecting human rights in the context of climate change.
“In all his official meetings, Mr. Fry received assurances of the Philippines’ support for his mandate and the success of his country visit,” the DFA said, adding he also met with Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
Prior to his meetings with Manalo, Remulla and Yulo Loyzaga, Fry also held dialogues with senior representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Justice, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Philippine Commission on Women where they discussed issues on loss and damage; climate change displacement; climate change litigation and intergenerational justice; climate change and the protection of environmental human rights defenders; and gender-response to climate change.
To recall, a report by rights watchdog Global Witness said the Philippines has remained the most dangerous country in Asia for environmental defenders after 11 were killed last year.
While the 11 was lower than the 19 defenders murdered in 2021, the country remained the worst place in Asia for environmental defenders since 2012 when Global Witness started its annual monitoring of environmentalists slain.
The report said the majority of the killings of environmental defenders in the country are connected to them defending company operations, including the mining industry and agribusiness sector.