Manila (TDI): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Manila on Saturday to participate in the 49th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where regional leaders will discuss shared challenges and explore ways to strengthen cooperation.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq announced on Friday that Guterres would attend the summit, hosted by the Philippines under the theme “Navigating Our Future Together.”
During his visit, the UN chief is scheduled to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and hold bilateral discussions with several heads of delegations, Haq told reporters.
Guterres will attend the summit’s opening ceremony on Sunday and participate in the 16th ASEAN-United Nations Summit on Monday, marking the 15th anniversary of the comprehensive partnership between the two organisations.
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Haq said the secretary-general would highlight ASEAN’s importance, emphasising the region’s influence and capacity to address major challenges at both regional and global levels.
He is also expected to underline the importance of UN-ASEAN cooperation in several key areas, including conflict prevention, climate action, sustainable development, peacekeeping and human rights.
The UN chief’s engagements on Tuesday will include a meeting with the United Nations country team in the Philippines, a dialogue with young people and participation in the closing ceremony of the ASEAN summit.
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According to Haq, Guterres is scheduled to return to New York on November 19.The visit comes as ASEAN and the United Nations continue efforts to strengthen their institutional partnership and advance cooperation on regional stability, sustainable development and global challenges.
