New dimensions of security, new challenges for us

In a recent conversation I held with media friends, I was happy to hear France has gained visibility lately in the Philippines. This is not unrelated to the various events celebrating our 75th anniversary, but more fundamentally, it expresses our shared desire to take the relations of our two countries to another level.

In September, Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had a phone call, during which they agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the fields of food and energy security, defense and human exchanges. They met again during the UNGA in New York. These topics were discussed as well during the visit of delegation of 10 senators led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri in Paris and Normandie.

The world as a whole feels the consequences of the war in Ukraine. The weaponization of food, energy and disinformation in this ongoing conflict showcase new fundamental dimensions of our security, that we need to address and to harness to our shared values: in these troubled times, democracies should close their ranks and intensify cooperation. And as every Filipino knows, climate change and environment protection are equally among top challenges that have to be fully integrated in an extended definition of human security. For this reason, we see with great interest the candidature of the Philippines to the United Nations Security Council 2027-2028 term.

A few days ago during the COP27 Climate Summit in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh, President Macron introduced a Positive Conservation Partnership, that aims at funding the protection of vital reserves as carbon and biodiversity. Because they provide a critical environmental service to humanity, these ecosystems should be recognized and rewarded financially. Through this scheme, primary forests and mangroves in the Philippines, that are carbon traps and pools of biodiversity, could bring prosperity to their periphery through chains of sustainable exploitation, be better protected or even expand.

Recent scientific research shows in particular that mangroves and coastal ecosystems have a unique capacity to sequester carbon among other ecosystems. This complements the High Ambition Coalition on Nature and People, spearheaded by France and Costa Rica that aims at ensuring the effective conservation of at least 30 percent of all land and sea areas. It is excellent news that the Philippines supports these two initiatives.

Later this month, we will celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of a coral reef restoration center in Palawan with Sulubaai Environmental Foundation, funded by the French Facility for World Environment that precisely aims at strengthening the resilience of coastal communities. AFD, our French Development Agency, recently held high-level consultations in Manila to push further projects involving green infrastructure, such as mangroves or coral reefs, and other means of climate resilience.

The war in Ukraine also reminds us that territorial invasions did not stop in the 20th century and can still happen overnight. Classic security issues are still the main point of attention in the Indo-Pacific region, and for the Philippines in particular. This is also the case for French overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific, where nearly 2 million French citizens live.

In coherence with our commitment to peace and stability, France pursues a non-confrontational approach and the peaceful settlement of disputes, while ensuring the strict protection of our sovereignty. We work together finding ways to reinforce our security, through the upholding of international law and the strengthening of our military cooperation, with training, joint drills and the modernization of forces. Our operational cooperation encompasses a wide range of topics, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).

And our exchanges intensify: late October, AFP Chief of Staff Lt. General Bartolome Vicente Baccaro was in Paris to attend the Euronaval exhibition show in Paris where he had a very warm and promising bilateral meeting with his French counterpart General Burkhard. This week, we held our 3rd Joint Defense Committee with Captain Guillaume Arnoux and Defense Assistant Secretary Henry Robinson in Manila. Next month, our Defense Ministry in-house think-tank IRSEM will have a series of exchanges in the Philippines to deepen our mutual understanding on various issues.

Our bilateral relationship is also grounded in other sectors of cooperation. Last week, about 25 French companies came to Manila under the lead MEDEF International, the largest employer federation in France. And a few days ago, we held the 25th French Film Festival in the Philippines, where many of you noticed the presence of superstars Isabelle Huppert, and Lucas Bravo, the chef from the series “Emily in Paris.”

All these areas of cooperation matter.

We wish to further intensify our political dialogue with the Philippines, and as a nation of the Indo-Pacific, we want to work more closely with the Philippines in the region. For the first time, the French President has been invited to the APEC summit, and we are expecting major developments from this meeting. France recently obtained the status of Development Partner of ASEAN, and we are working with the Philippines and neighboring countries to develop regional projects, such as One Health, that focuses on the interactions between humans, animals and ecosystems in the development of infectious diseases.

With this in mind, the conclusion of the celebrations of our 75th anniversary can give us the occasion to envision a partnership based on a common vision of sovereignty, security and sustainable development in the food and energy sectors.

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Michèle Boccoz is the French ambassador to the Philippines