New pact reaffirms Philippine commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has committed to keep military personnel and equipment on standby for any peacekeeping operations of the United Nations.

The commitment was formalized in a Memorandum of Agreement on Contributions to the UN Standby Arrangement System, which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo signed Wednesday night.

The pact was signed in Malacaňang before a gala dinner tendered by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in honor of Ban, who was in Manila to address the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development GFMD).

Under the agreement, the Philippines committed to "make available specified resources that could be made available for UN Peacekeeping Operations within the agreed response time."

The resources agreed upon shall remain on standby in the Philippines where necessary operations, including UN-guided trainings, are conducted, the MOU stated.

It added that resources will be used exclusively for peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN Security Council.

A Malacañang statement on Thursday said the commitment could be in the form of military formation, specialized personnel, services, as well as materiel and equipment.

"We are very proud of the signing of the agreement earlier for a standby arrangement with our peacekeeping forces. We are very proud of our police force which is one of the biggest contingents in the UN Peacekeeping Operations," President Arroyo said in a statement before the gala dinner.

Ban lauded the Philippines for being "one of the strongest supporters of the UN Peacekeeping Forces."

The Philippines has 621 police and military personnel serving in nine UN mission areas — Afghanistan, Koltival, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Sudan and Timor Leste. - GMANews.TV

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