DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr and Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have agreed to enhance humanitarian cooperation in the country, the Department of Defense (DND) said yesterday.
Spoljaric on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Teodoro, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“Ms. Spoljaric’s official visit to the Philippines aims to deepen high-level humanitarian dialogue between the ICRC and the Philippine government, and to reaffirm their shared commitment to addressing evolving humanitarian challenges in the country,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement.
The meeting followed the Philippines ‘s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) from August 11 to 14 in Makati City.
The conference, with the theme “Galvanizing Commitment to International Humanitarian Law: Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region,” highlighted the role of national IHL committees, challenges in IHL implementation.
Also discussed in the conference was the humanitarian impact of emerging technologies such as information and communications technology, cyber operations, and autonomous weapons.
Andolong said Teodoro expressed the DND’s appreciation for the ICRC as a “valued partner of the Philippine government in advancing humanitarian work” and “emphasized that the protection of civilians remains a priority amid evolving security concerns.”
“Secretary Teodoro assured the ICRC of the DND’s steadfast support for humanitarian assistance and recognized the ICRC’s longstanding contributions to disaster response, health services, and aid to conflict-affected areas,” he said.
Andolong said Spoljaric expressed appreciation for the “sustained partnership” between the two sides and affirmed the ICRC’s “readiness to continue supporting Philippine government initiatives.”
“Both leaders underscored the importance of upholding international humanitarian law and expressed readiness to further strengthen cooperation in humanitarian operations and engagements,” he said.
