THE selection of the Philippines to host the world’s Loss and Damage Fund Board reflected the “widespread confidence” in the country’s ability and commitment to global climate action and equity, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The Philippines has been unanimously selected to host the board in a landmark decision made on Tuesday during the second meeting of the Board held in Songdo, South Korea.
Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya on X (formerly Twitter) congratulated the Philippines’ election to host the Board.
Department of Foreign Affairs
“I look forward to the Philippines’ active role in combating climate change. Let’s deepen cooperation between Japan and the Philippines in this vital area,” Endo said,
Sen. Loren Legarda said, “By its selection of the Philippines out of eight countries that made an official bid to host its meetings and official undertakings, the Board of the fund has allowed our country a great honor to support this important body of work, which had taken several decades to build.”
Legarda said that the Philippines had always been there from the beginning. “Now we must hold this honor with awareness of the great responsibility it brings. We shall continue to use our voice for climate justice as one of the world’s most impacted countries in the climate crisis.”
The DFA said that the Board is the Fund’s decision-making body responsible for setting the trust’s strategic direction, operations, and work program.
Established through a decision of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, the Fund aims to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in responding to economic and non-economic loss and damage associated with climate change, including extreme weather and slow-onset events.
It comprises 26 members from Parties to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, with 12 members from developed nations and 14 from developing countries. The Philippines sits in the Asia Pacific Group of the Board, represented by Mark Dennis Joven.
The Philippines’ bid to host the Board of the Fund, which was announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as soon as the Fund was made operational during COP28 in Dubai, was in line with the country’s “long-standing engagement on discussions of the Fund and our belief that all States must contribute to the success of its institutional architecture,” the DFA said.
“As host, the Philippines is dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of the Board not only for its members or the secretariat but also for all parties participating in the official business,” the DFA said.
“The Philippines will serve as a committed steward of the Board’s efficient operations and ensure a supportive environment for the performance of its mandate,” it added.
The DFA said it would continue to work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other concerned agencies in the next steps in the finalization of the hosting arrangements for the Board in the Philippines.
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