PH to push for ‘women in climate action’ at COP29 – Manalo

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made the announcement on Wednesday following the adoption of the Pasay Declaration at the three-day 2024 International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS). (File Photo: @DFAPHL/X)

MANILA – The Philippines will further push to increase women inclusion in all climate action efforts in the upcoming 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made the announcement on Wednesday following the adoption of the Pasay Declaration at the three-day 2024 International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS).

“The Philippines is hopeful that the Pasay Declaration will help shape state actions, guide policy reforms and foster greater accountability in advancing gender responsive peace and security frameworks,” he said.

“As a nation, we intend to carry forward this declaration as we engage with broader multilateral agendas such as the upcoming 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, where we aim to further advocate the integration of gender equality in climate action,” he added.

Earlier, the Global Women Leaders said there is a great need to give the gender agenda “the importance it deserves” in climate negotiations and urged stakeholders to adopt an updated and well-resourced gender action plan (GAP).

As the president of the COP29, Azerbaijan said it will drive actions “across all climate pillars” that covers a range of key pillars from energy, finance, agriculture, cities, human developments, and the climate-peace nexus.

ICWPS declaration

The Pasay Declaration is an outcome document of the ICWPS, adopted by consensus by ministers and representatives from over 70 countries on October 28.

It outlines renewed commitments to accelerate the WPS agenda and serves not just a pledge, but also as a blueprint for action.

But a significant portion of it is the commitment among states to “ensuring that climate action integrates gender-responsive approaches with women playing leadership roles”.

It also calls for sustainable funding and promotion of women’s leadership in climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.

On the last day of the ICWPS, Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Emerlita Valdeavilla said the threat of climate change had been exacerbating pressure on women and have pushed them “farther to the edge of disadvantage”.

“Everything in the 17th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is central to the gender, peace, security and climate agenda, and most of them are not likely to be achieved in the next six years, which is the deadline set by the SDG,” she said.

“We need to match our commitments with transformative actions that deliver results, impacts around the SDG goals,” she added.