Group of Friends in the UN

On the 79th founding anniversary of the United Nations last October, I was at the headquarters touring my sister around. There were the usual guided tours, an ongoing press conference, a meeting at the General Assembly and an obviously myriad of meetings and events as evidenced from the harried paces of diplomats and delegates, mostly clad in power suits. There were ongoing photo and art exhibits aptly curated according to the relevance and events of our times.

At the delegates’ lounge where we spent time admiring a post-card perfect view of the bluest sky gleaming through the stillness of the East River, I observed how groups of multi-racial men and women huddled over coffee and snacks, engage in animated conversations. Maybe some were talking business, others simply taking a break. I scanned the rows of trees by the rose garden morphing from green to a mesmerizing blend of yellow, orange, red and brown. All together, they are the colors of fall. Pretty much like the UN, I thought. Everyone comes from different races and nationalities yet altogether they represent the peoples of the world. All together they are the faces of oneness.

Peace, unity and cooperation are to my mind fundamental to human existence. They are the core principles by which the UN is anchored. From these very ideals the untiring efforts of the UN’s six main parts – the General Assembly, Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the UN Secretariat – constantly grind and find meaning.

For us students from decades ago and I suppose for learners of the present generation, these six divisions of the UN are what we are most familiar with. Learning about the UN is usually at its peak in the month of October, while celebrating UN Week is a big festival with students clad in attires of countries they represent. In events like this it was important that we memorized the vital functions of the six departments and familiarized ourselves with their significant roles by heart.

But there are some little known functions and groups in the UN, which perhaps students and even I had personally not heard much about – until a few weeks ago when the hubby mentioned about a 10 a.m. meeting with the “Group of Friends,” at the UN. I thought of how quite odd it was to meet with friends at 10 in the morning and of all places at the UN. “Who are these friends of yours?” I asked. He smiled to clarify he was not referring to the type of groups similar to my ladies’ coffee morning or afternoon tea meet ups, but to alliances of various countries or member-states collectively known as “Group of Friends.” The Philippines belongs to many of them. Surprised about the new information I learned, I was glad for the explanation and thought how nice it is for our country to have “GoFs.” Sounds like BFFs, I grinned.

I did some research and read that the Group of Friends started in the 1990’s. What was initially envisaged as a channel to counterbalance the civil conflict in El Salvador evolved into coalitions of UN member-states, working together in order to pursue initiatives and goals related to particular issues or conditions.

One night post dinner, the hubby obliged to answer some of my questions about GoFs.

I gathered there are no specific guidelines or criteria for the formation of and membership in a GoF. He opines: “A GoF may be initiated by a few countries for a specific cause and then they invite like-minded member-states who share their vision on a specific issue.”

The GoF on Sport for Development and Peace, however, is open to all member-states of the UN and it has no specific members. Monaco and Qatar, for example, “continue to be at the forefront of this GoF and are very active in the UN’s sports agenda, including those related to Olympic truce, and peace and sports.”

As a general rule, all member-states may join any GoF. Organizers usually invite a group of member-states, which may serve as the “core group” to lead the GoF’s activities, including hosting of meetings and organizing side events during high-level meetings at the UN.

To date, the Philippines is a member of close to 50 GoF’s. Among others, we are involved in GoFs in Water Sanitation and Hygiene and Healthcare Facilities, of Education and Lifelong Learning, Women Peace and Security, Older Persons, Disaster Relief in Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Mental Health and Well Being, Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers, Victims of Terrorism, etc. We are also included in the GoF of Sports for Development and Peace.

Having attended several meetings of the GoF on the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the hubby shared how our country continues “to reiterate our call for the Alliance to strengthen synergies with other international and regional organizations” like UNESCO, UN Women, IOM (International Organization of Migration), ILO (International Labor Organization) and ASEAN. In an era marked by increasing interdependence, partnerships and collaborative efforts play strategic roles in addressing shared political, security and socio-cultural challenges.

What I found most interesting is how we recently “joined a global alliance to spare water from conflicts.” Akin to a GoF, the coalition includes international NGOs, providing technical assistance and substantive support for the group. A significant rationale behind the formation of this cooperation is that “water is one of the planet’s most important resources, so protecting and preserving it even in time of war must be a shared goal for the benefit of peoples in conflict zones.”

The tasks at the UN are indeed immense. With representatives from 193 countries working together amidst a multitude of global issues, the quest for peace being the most notable one, it is reassuring to know that platforms like GoFs, albeit informal, continue to serve as suitable venues in advancing meaningful initiatives necessary for our fast changing world.