Philippines Demands Gaza Ceasefire, Rules-Based South China Sea Order
Lazaro urged that civilians be shielded from harm, that all hostages be freed, and that nations fully uphold international law, including humanitarian law provisions.
She restated Manila's backing for the Palestinian people's "inalienable right" to self-determination.
"We firmly believe that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting and durable peace, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," she said.
Shifting to maritime concerns, Lazaro stressed that seas kept open and secure, "free from interference and coercion," are essential not only to Philippine security and economic interests but to global trade at large.
She referred to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the "Constitution of the Oceans," noting that ten years have now elapsed since the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling — a decision she labeled "final and legally binding."
"The Philippines stands firm in its conviction that disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and law, not violence and might," Lazaro said.
Manila and Beijing continue to hold competing claims across the contested waters, and China has consistently dismissed the 2016 tribunal decision.
Lazaro further pushed for tighter international oversight of artificial intelligence, cautioning that absent "robust governance, enforceable ethical standards, and strong legal guardrails," the technology risks widening inequality and generating systemic dangers.
Addressing climate impacts, she noted that storms and monsoon flooding have battered more than 2.7 million Filipino households since August, and called for full implementation of the Paris Agreement alongside complete operationalization of the loss-and-damage response fund.
She also flagged mounting risks confronting seafarers, pointing out that Filipinos make up over 25% of the nearly 2 million mariners keeping global trade moving.
Lazaro renewed calls to reform the UN Security Council, pushing for a body that is more representative, transparent and accountable, with expanded seats for developing regions.
She closed by voicing what she called a "historic aspiration": seeing the United Nations appoint its first woman secretary-general.
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