THE Philippines is giving US$1 million to COVAX, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has said.

At the 45th Annual Meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 (G77) and China, which was recently held virtually, Locsin told Ministers that “the only weapon against the pandemic is global vaccination” and reaffirmed the Philippines’ “unwavering support for the WHO, its COVAX Facility and the COVAX Advance Market Commitment.”

He said “my President is giving U$ 1 million dollars to COVAX.”

The Secretary also reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to work with G77 and China, the group of 134 developing countries and the largest negotiating bloc in the United Nations, on ensuring vaccine equity and called for stronger global mechanisms to end delays in the production and distribution of vaccines.

Locsin outlined the Philippines’ socio-economic priorities and reaffirmed the country’s commitment on the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of migrants, climate action, disaster risk reduction, protection of biodiversity and strengthened support for middle-income countries.

He said as a Global Compact for Migration (GCM) Champion country, with its people living and working in most countries of the world, the Philippines will stay at the forefront of the protection of the rights and the promotion of the welfare of migrants wherever they may be.

“Legal or illegal, they are our people; we will not forgive their maltreatment. They are a godsend to their countries of origin, transit, and destination. Therefore, include them in national COVID responses,” Locsin stressed.

Echoing the need for urgent global climate action, the Secretary also informed the meeting that the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) shows the country’s strong commitment to 75% greenhouse gas emissions reduction and avoidance by 2030.

He reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the successful adoption of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Secretary thanked the G77 and China for their solidarity with middle-income countries and conveyed to the group that the Philippines, a middle-income country, will follow-through the mapping exercise to be conducted by the UN system for a clear overview of support to middle-income countries.

At the same Ministerial Meeting, the Ministers also adopted the 2021 G77 and China Ministerial Declaration and welcomed Pakistan as the incoming Chair of the Group for 2022 from the Asia Pacific Group.

President of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid highlighted the Group of 77 and China as a leading voice on the multilateral stage since its inception in 1964 and that the voices of developing countries are needed, now more than ever.

United Nations Secretary-General Antόnio Guterres stressed that the Group of 77 and China is a steadfast supporter of multilateralism and the United Nations and its founding principles of unity, complementarity, cooperation and solidarity are especially relevant in these times of crisis. He recognized the Group as a leader in placing development at the center of the UN agenda.

The G77 and China remains the country’s strategic partner in advancing Philippine interests in the UN on various issues such as among others, the global response to the COVID19 pandemic, migrants, health, food security, education, middle-income countries, climate action, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, financial inclusion and south-south cooperation.