Philippines steps up bid for UNSC seat

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES is stepping up diplomatic efforts to secure a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), a move the government said would amplify Manila’s voice in global peace and security discussions and help advance regional interests.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. arrived in New York on Sunday for a working visit to the United Nations General Assembly from March 9-10, where he sought to advance the Philippines’ candidature for a nonpermanent seat on the UNSC.

“This candidature is about shared responsibility. It is about ensuring that the voice of the Philippines — and of developing countries — is heard at the highest forum of global peace and security,” Mr. Marcos said in his pre-departure speech, based on a statement on Monday.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said in a news briefing that winning the seat would enable the country to help shape international decisions on peace and security.

“Membership in a nonpermanent seat will give the Philippines a voice in helping shape global agendas or aspirations,” Ms. Castro said in Filipino.

“It will also allow us to provide suggestions on decisions on international peace and security issues. This is not only in the interest of our country — it is also in the interest of our region,” she said.

The UNSC is the UN’s most powerful body, with the authority to adopt binding resolutions on peace and security.

The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and US — hold veto power; while 10 nonpermanent members are elected for two-year terms and enjoy voting rights but not veto privileges.

The election will be held in June, and candidates must secure a two-thirds majority vote from member states that are present and voting. The Philippines, which previously served on the council in 1957, 1963, 1980-1981, and 2004-2005, is seeking the Asia-Pacific seat for the 2027-2028 term.

UNSC RELEVANCE
Herman Joseph S. Kraft, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, said while a non-permanent membership comes with both prestige and responsibility.

“All members of the UNSC get to discuss issues that have international significance, often having access to information and insights that other members of the UN General Assembly do not necessarily know about,” Mr. Kraft told BusinessWorld via e-mail.

He added that nonpermanent members can also hold the rotating presidency of the council. “Most importantly, it gets to vote on how the UN should act on these matters.”

Mr. Kraft, however, said the current geopolitical environment may complicate the role of smaller states in the council.

“The relevance of the UNSC is under question as the great powers seem to be reshaping the international order to the detriment of smaller states,” he said. “It is still important to be able to be in a platform that would allow the Philippines a voice in how that process evolves.”

He said that Manila could face diplomatic dilemmas, particularly given its alliance with the United States and disputes with China in the South China Sea.

A council seat could provide Manila with a platform to push its foreign policy concerns, Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III, who teaches International Law at the Far Eastern University, said.

“A seat on the UNSC, even if nonpermanent, gives us a direct channel to voice out and lobby for our own concerns and foreign policy goals,” Mr. Falcis told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He cited issues such as the protection of Philippine maritime rights in the South China Sea and efforts to reduce tensions in regional and global conflicts.

Jose Mario D. de Vega, a part-time instructor specializing in international relations at the Philippine Normal University, likewise sees the UNSC seat as a wider platform to highlight the Philippines’ position in the sea dispute, but questioned the consistency of Manila’s foreign policy posture.

“If his regime is truly for peace, then how will he explain the existence of the various US military installations here?” Mr. de Vega said, referring to the Philippines’ security arrangements with the United States.

He also raised the possibility that geopolitical tensions, including disputes in the Taiwan Strait, could expose the Philippines to security risks because of the presence of US facilities in the country.

He also said that the bid could raise questions about Manila’s commitment to international legal institutions, citing the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.