Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo is flying to Uganda to represent the Philippines at the 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

In his pre-departure statement, Manalo said the summit serves as an ideal platform for the Philippines to work with its partner in advancing the interests of developing countries towards a “just international economic order in the 21st century.”

“On behalf of the President, I will be delivering the Philippine Statement during the Summit. I will convey the Philippines’ solidarity with developing countries on key issues such as climate change and sustainable development,” he said.

“We will also work with ASEAN countries to promote our interests and priorities at the NAM Summit,” he added.

The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will be held in the capital Kampala on Jan. 19 and 20.

It will mark Manalo’s first visit as DFA chief to the African continent.

Manalo said he will engage with his counterparts to strengthen cooperation and campaign for the country’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations (UN) Security Council for 2027-2028.

The top diplomat underscored that NAM has an important role in “maintaining global peace and security and sustaining constructive and credible multilateralism that works for the people is important especially in the current international context.”

Meanwhile, Department of Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy will head the Philippine delegation to the 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77, to be held immediately after the NAM Summit on Jan. 21 to 22, also in the Ugandan capital.

The South Summit is the supreme decision-making body of the Group of 77, composed of intergovernmental organizations of developing countries in the UN. (PNA)