President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this month for the second consecutive year, Malacañang confirmed on Thursday, September 12. Instead, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will represent the Philippines and present the nation’s stance on global issues.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, Manalo will advocate for resolving international conflicts through peaceful means, in line with the principles of the UN Charter.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez, noted that senior leaders from over 20 nations will meet on the sidelines of the assembly to discuss China’s rising aggression in the South China Sea.
The UNGA is a major policy-making forum, attended by all 193 member states to discuss key global issues, although its resolutions are not enforceable.