There are collective problems that should be addressed via cooperation among nation-states. While the government takes the lead in formal negotiations, official statements, and diplomacy, non-government organizations (NGOs) advocate, advise and inform regional and international organizations about its situation. Transnational organizations also join hands with these local NGOs and provide them support and assistance in their advocacies. For example, in international migration, the Migrant Forum Asia (MFA) partners with the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) in many activities relating to the plight of Filipino migrants. Such is also the case with Greenpeace International, which supports many environmental NGOs working on climate change initiatives. Aside from the UN and the European Union, the Human Rights Watch has also called out President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in its reports and press statements, expressing grave concern on the much-reported extrajudicial killings concerning the war on drugs.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a multinational organization created to foster regional cooperation among Southeast Asian countries. Since its inception in 1967, it has included almost all nations in Southeast Asia, which includes: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Due to the external threats to the region such as geo-political tension, the formation of ASEAN was critical in preserving socio-economic cohesion, promoting peace, trade, and cultural exchange, and ensuring progress through efforts such as research and other joint agreements. ASEAN was vital in addressing issues within the region such as disagreements involving its members, and in keeping political structures in check even with the changing dynamics within and outside the region. After the Cold War, ASEAN strengthened its political independence and empowered its members over their territories (Moon, 2020). 

Its aims include:

1. The acceleration of economic growth and social progress among member states;
2. The promotion of regional peace and stability;
3. The promotion of collaboration and mutual assistance in cultural, social, economic and scientific endeavors between nations; and
4. Maintaining close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

As one of the founding members of the ASEAN, the Philippines has made the organization one of the cornerstones of its foreign policy. The country has pursued greater cooperation between member states in policy making, economic, and trading, among others. Time and time again, it has affirmed that ASEAN centrality should be promoted at all times.

The Philippines is also a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a regional economic forum established to create greater prosperity to member economies.  From its foundation in 1989, APEC’s member composition include:

• Original nations
  • Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States; and 
• Subsequent states
  • Chile, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

To achieve its objectives, APEC ensures that goods, services, investment and people move easily across borders (Moon, 2014). Members facilitate this trade through: 

1. faster customs procedures at borders; 
2. more favorable business climates behind their borders; and 
3. aligning regulations and standards across the region. 

These initiatives facilitate regional trade since goods can be more easily exported with just one set of common standards (Moon, 2014). APEC’s management of trade and tariff was critical in maintaining the operation of the markets and flow of resources contextualized within the capacity and needs within the region. Otherwise, economic agreements and opportunities might be seized by an external power and threaten the supposed balance and interdependence within the Asia-Pacific. 

The Philippine economy is intertwined with APEC. A majority of the country’s external trade for 2016 were from APEC member countries. PH-APEC exports totaled to USD 47,367 million or 84.11 percent of total exports while imports summed up to USD 67,899 million or 84 percent share of the total imports. Because of this, the Philippines has been an active proponent of APEC initiatives that drive regional economic growth.

he United Nations (UN) is the largest intergovernmental organization in the world, and is made up of 193 member-states. It serves as the primary international forum for all nations to gather, discuss common problems, and plan and execute solutions. In this way, the UN has sought to foster cooperation between all nations of the world. Under it are several administrative arms, each with its own initiative such as:

1. United Nations Development Programme
2. United Nations Children’s Fund
3. United Nations Capital Development Fund
4. World Food Programme
5. United Nations Environment Programme
6. United Nations Population Fund
7. United Nations Human Settlements Programme
8. United Nations Volunteers

Nations gathered to form the UN in 1945 primarily to foster peace and prevent conflict, the threat of wars, and to pursue initiatives to mitigate and respond to emergencies and provide humanitarian support to communities around the world (History.com Editors, 2018).

Even before Philippine independence, the then-Commonwealth of the Philippines was one of the signatories of the 1942 UN Declaration where the UN Charter, the founding document of the United Nations, was based from. The Philippines is one of only four Asian countries that is an original member of the international organization.

The Philippines has been an active participant in various UN programs ever since. These include the  Millennium Development Goals, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs.

One of the most critical fronts in which the Philippines has made significant inroads is human rights. The concept of human rights is new, although early documents show that its origins date back to ancient times. Previous accounts indicate that the Code of Hammurabi, Confucius doctrines, the Quran, and many others contain edicts aiming at individual equality and rights. However, the evolution of current human rights began in the aftermath of World War II, as the world grappled with how to prevent atrocity and maintain peace. Such development also coincided with the United Nations’ formal establishment in 1945, of which the Philippines was one of its founding members. Currently, the Philippines is one among the countries in the world to have ratified eight (8) core international human rights instruments. These are as follows:

1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

This is one of the most important treaties that the international community has forged. There are 173 countries that have acceded to this treaty as of 2019. It specifically guarantees the right to life, religion, speech, fair trial, due process, and free elections.

1. International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

Along with the ICCPR, this treaty comprises the International Bill of Rights. Among the rights that it guarantees are as follows: form unions, right to decent working conditions, social security, health, family life, adequate standard of living, free education, and cultural life.

1. Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Regarded as women’s bill of rights, this treaty guarantees the right against discrimination on the basis of sex in all spheres of society. It emphasizes women’s right to be represented in public life, equality in marriage and family life, and nationality, among others. It is one of the most ratified UN treaties. The Philippines’ Magna Carta of Women localizes some of the provisions of the CEDAW.

1. Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention defines a child as any person below the age of 18. It guarantees the rights of the child to” life, survival and development, protection from violence, abuse, and neglect, education, be raised by parents or have a relationship with them, and to express their opinions and be listened to.” Like the CEDAW, it is one of the most ratified treaties of the UN.

1. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The Convention prohibits torture or any form of inhumane punishment. It also strongly urges state signatories to do everything they can so that these forms of cruelty are avoided.

1. International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Among others, the Convention specifically defines racial discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.”

1. International Convention on the Protection of All Migrant Workers and their Families

One of the least ratified UN conventions, the treaty guarantees that migrant workers are protected in host countries and that non-discrimination and decent working conditions are observed regardless of migrant status. It protects the rights of migrant workers and their families regardless of “sex, race, colour, language, religion or conviction, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, nationality, age, economic position, property, marital status, birth, or other status”. The Philippines’ Magna Carta for Overseas Workers serves as the enabling domestic law for this Convention.

1. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Under this Convention, persons of disabilities are entitled to the following rights: 

equality and non-discrimination; 

• life; 
• accessibility; 
• equal recognition before the law; 
• justice; liberty and security; 
• freedom from torture; 
• violence; 
• abuse and exploitation; 
• integrity; 
• liberty of movement and nationality; 
• live independently; 
• personal mobility; 
• freedom of expression; 
• opinion; 
• access to information; 
• privacy; 
• respect for home and the family; 
• education; 
• health; 
• work and employment; 
• habitation and rehabilitation; 
• adequate standard of living and social protection;
• participation in political and public life; 
• in cultural life;
• recreation and leisure and sport.

There are committees of experts monitoring each core instrument to ensure compliance by states. As such, as a signatory, the Philippines is also required to submit reports to these committees. These core instruments enunciate what is contained in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a foundational document of the United Nations. Crafted in the aftermath of World War II, it outlines basic rights and freedoms of individuals. Signed on December 10, 1948, it set out to transform the ways societies would treat individuals when it emphasized that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Though it is non-binding among states, it has served as a framework for many constitutions, invoked in courts worldwide, and has been translated into several languages. Such development attests to the global evolution and diffusion of human rights norms and standards. For its part, the 1987 Philippine Constitution contains a set of rights culled from the UDHR. To enforce these rights, an independent government agency, the Commission on Human Rights was established.” 

Another key global commitment of the Philippines is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were set in 2000 when states committed to addressing poverty, inequality in education, gender, and sanitation. It expired in 2015 and, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has made significant inroads by having lifted one billion people out of extreme poverty and halving school drop-outs since 1990, as among its achievements. However, in 2012 a UN conference proposed establishing the SDGs to address daunting challenges, specifically the threat of climate change. In other words, key targets need to be scaled up to mitigate the effects on individuals of persisting problems. The SDGs comprise 17 global goals by 2030. 

These are: 

1. No poverty, 
2. Zero hunger, 
3. Good health and well-being, 
4. Quality education, 
5. Gender equality, 
6. Clean water, 
7. Affordable energy, 
8. Decent work and economic growth, 
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 
10. Reduced inequalities, 
11. Sustainable cities and communities, 
12. Responsible consumption and production, 
13. Climate action, 
14. Life below water, 
15. Life on land, 
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions, and 
17. Partnerships for the goals. 

The overall aim is to reduce inequalities within states. To comply with the SDG commitments and progress on the goals, the Philippines’ entire government bureaucracy is tasked to pursue the 17 global goals in their policies and programs. Its experience in developing mechanisms and policy tools on the MDGs proved to be useful. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the country’s socio-economic planning agency, monitors its implementation, while the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) localizes the SDGs to the municipal levels. In the 2020 UN report on the world’s progress towards attaining the SDGs, the Philippines ranked 99th out of 166 in terms of progress.. According to the report, it still faces difficulty in: attaining zero hunger (SDG 2), good health, and well-being (SDG 3), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and peace and justice (SDG 16). Nevertheless, the recent government data indicating reduced poverty levels and efforts in addressing climate change are said to be marks of progress on these fronts.