Philippines 34th UN Anniversary 23 Oct 1979

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23 October -Tribute to the Philippines on its 34th anniversary of joining the U.N.

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The Philippines celebrated it’s thirty-Fourth anniversary of joining the United Nations on 23 October 1979. Guest speaker for the programme was H .E. Mr. Alejandro D. Yango, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations. Excerpts from his talk follow.

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H.E. Mr. Alejandro D. Yango, Permanent Rep-representative of the Philippines to the United Nations:

 The early international dedication of the Philippines can be seen from some twenty-one amendments submitted by the Philippine delegation to the Dunbarton Oaks Proposals on United Nations structure. These were on cultural affairs, security matters and the welfare of colonial peoples. We believed then, as we believe now, that the increased contact among peoples greatly fosters world understanding. We therefore attach great importance to cultural affairs and groups such as this one, and propose that such matters be included in the list of concerns for the Economic and Social Council, of which we are a founding member. In addition, we worked for the creation of an educational and cultural commission, of which we are also a founding member. In matters of security, the trauma of being caught in the middle of a war which was not of our making impressed upon us the need to make the great powers more aware of the point of view of the small nations. We therefore recognized the sovereign equality of all law abiding states. We accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. We attempted, although unsuccessfully, to dilute the powers of the Security Council so that voices of the weaker nations could be better heard.

Finally, as the first Asian government with colonial status to anticipate independence on an assured date after centuries of colonial experience, we felt it our duty to participate in the United Nations councils on behalf of dependent and non-self-governing peoples.

Such was our apprenticeship in the United Nations. From the viewpoint of the early years, to our present outlook, which is one of speedy support tempered by experience and maturity, we continue to give to the United Nations the best that we have to offer.

We have sent our ablest ministers and statesmen, not only from our foreign service but from the other branches of our government as well, in the hope that the meeting of great minds would somehow add to the common pool of universal wisdom.

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We have been playing our role in the world of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies, whether it be in emergency problems affecting the entire world or regions thereof or in the humdrum daily operations of the Secretariat and the various other institutions in the United Nations system. We continue our responsibilities in the ablest manner we are capable of. No task is too small, no sacrifice too great when it comes to the United Nation and its fields.

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