MEMBERS of the United Nations, especially those belonging and aligned to the West, cannot help but take notice that the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has improved by leaps and bounds in the matter of cooperating with our international partners, particularly on human rights and freedom of expression.
Both the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) have prepared activities and reports for the coming visit of Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression.
‘It is just as well that Khan will be given utmost courtesy and cooperation by the government — something unthinkable under the previous Duterte administration…’
Khan will arrive in the country on Jan. 23 and will stay until Feb. 2, and the DFA has assured the UN official that the Philippines is always open and sincere in dealing not just with her, but also with other representatives of international bodies.
It was not given much attention by the media — whether mainstream or socmed — but the fact remains that Khan is the third special rapporteur (SR) to visit the Philippines in 14 months.
Fatimah Singhateh, SR for the Sale and Exploitation of Children, came here in November 2022, and Dr. Ian Fry, SR for Climate Change and Human Rights, in November last year. In February 2023, SR for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Morris Tidball-Binz also had an academic visit to the Philippines.
Philippine engagements with UN special rapporteurs also include meetings undertaken by Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat, the most recent of which took place in July 2023 on the sidelines of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Khan’s visit signifies the open, sustained, and sincere cooperation of the Philippine government with bilateral and regional partners and the UN, on many fronts, where the country promotes its human rights-based development agenda and good governance, as well as its contributions in strengthening global norms to uphold human rights and dignity,” the DFA assured.
The department also said the Philippines “cooperates in good faith” with international human rights mechanisms, and supports funding for cooperation to build human rights capacities in developing countries.
“The Philippines takes pride in its human rights agenda, built over decades and across different administrations, which has set important benchmarks in the protection and promotion of the rights of various marginalized communities, including migrant workers, women, children, indigenous peoples, refugees, stateless persons, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups,” it said.
Meanwhile, the PTFoMS said it will hold a welcome dinner for Khan, to be attended by heads and representatives of various government agencies and the media.
“The welcome dinner would serve as a platform for open dialogue and exchange of ideas, reinforcing the Philippines’ dedication to maintaining a dynamic and open environment for media and expression,” the agency said.
The PTFoMS will be joined by the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, and the Office of the National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año for the welcome dinner.
During Khan’s visit, the task force will join the DFA in facilitating her meeting with civil society groups, human rights organizations, media organizations, experts and academics, and other stakeholders to get information about the status of the national normative framework, media freedom, internet freedom, and freedom of expression.
It is just as well that Khan will be given utmost courtesy and cooperation by the government — something unthinkable under the previous Duterte administration — the better to redeem the nation’s image in the international community.
