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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH: UN funds should help 'transform lives, not go to salaries'

PH: UN funds should help 'transform lives, not go to salaries'

Published Oct 11, 2024 09:33 am

​The Philippines has called for the judicious use of funds of the United Nations (UN) technical assistance programs, saying they should go more to concrete projects rather than to salaries and administrative costs.

"Technical cooperation should help transform people’s lives. It should not be used as an excuse to entrench high-paying jobs or for political purposes," Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Carlos Sorreta said.

Sorreta called for transparency and the judicious use of scarce resources in the conduct of technical assistance by the UN at the ongoing 57th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC57) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Philippines' advice stemmed from the key lessons learned during the three-year joint program on human rights between the Philippines and the UN.

The Philippines and the UN had worked on national initiatives and institutional frameworks in six areas: (a) domestic investigative and accountability mechanisms; (b) data gathering on alleged police violations; (c) National Mechanism for Monitoring and Follow-Up (NMRF); (d) civic space and engagement with civil society; (e) drug control; and (f) counter-terrorism.

Sorreta said that for capacity-building projects to become effective, they must be aligned with national priorities and time-bound and that national ownership must be respected to ensure sustainability of efforts.

The Philippines and the UN's joint program was concluded in July 2024 and achieved its main objectives.

"We now take full ownership of our human rights agenda, while maintaining spaces for focused collaborative undertakings with bilateral partners and civil society," Sorreta said.

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