Philippines Elected to New Term on International Development Law Organization Standing Committee

28 November 2023 - The Philippines was elected today by consensus for another two-year term as an ad hoc member of the Standing Committee of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), becoming one of its seven members through 2025.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative Nathaniel Imperial, who will represent the Philippines at the Committee, said that “The Philippines is greatly honored to be re-elected to the Governance of IDLO. The Philippine Government remains committed to intensifying its efforts to strengthen the rule of law in our country.”

Ambassador and Permanent Representative Nathaniel G. Imperial delivers the Philippine statement at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Assembly of Parties of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) of the Italian Republic on 28 November 2023.

The election was held during the 2023 Annual Meeting of the IDLO Assembly of Parties held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic. The Philippines previously served on the Standing Committee from 2019 to 2021 and re-elected from 2021 to 2023.

In his statement during the Plenary session, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Imperial underscored the international community’s collective responsibility to uphold the rule of law, as the world seeks to address development challenges leading to 2030, alongside the existential threats of global warming, degrading ecosystems, diseases and food insecurity. He underscored that sustainable development, for countries like the Philippines, also means upholding the rule of law in maritime spaces, such as the marine ecosystem and sustainable fisheries management, including addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He further welcomed IDLO’s enhanced focus on the pressing issues of climate justice, food security and nutrition, anti-corruption and access to justice, as well as gender equality.

“As the most gender-equal country in Asia, according to the recently released 2023 Global Gender Gap Index Report by the World Economic Forum, the Philippines supports the IDLO’s attention to the protection of women through the promotion of gender-responsive legal, regulatory and policy frameworks; the elimination of discriminatory laws and barriers to the full participation of women in society; and the empowerment of women professionals in the justice sector,” he said.

The 2023 Annual Meeting also re-elected Director-General Jan Beagle for a second four-year term. Other elected member states were the United States and Mongolia as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the Assembly of Parties; Kuwait as an ad hoc member of the Standing Committee and chair of the Audit and Finance Committee (AFC); and Italy as a member of the AFC.

The Standing Committee is a governing body of IDLO that provides appropriate oversight of the Organization on behalf of the Member Parties. It monitors the proper implementation of key decisions of the Assembly of Parties, reviews and approves the external audit reports and financial statements of the Organization, and prepares reports and recommendations for the Assembly.

Established as International Development Law Institute (IDLI) in 1988, IDLO celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. It is an intergovernmental organization of 38 Member Parties governed by the Assembly of Parties, a Standing Committee and an AFC. Granted an Observer status at the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, IDLO promotes rule of law to advance sustainable development. The Philippines is one of the founding members of IDLO and officially became a member party in 1989 after ratifying the Agreement on the Establishment of the International Development Law Institute. END