Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, shown in her official 2025 portrait, will lead the Philippine delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled his attendance. (Official DFA photo)
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week later this month, Malacañang confirmed on Monday, September 15, 2025. The Presidential Communications Office said the President has decided to prioritize domestic concerns and has delegated the engagement to Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.
The announcement reverses an earlier Palace confirmation on August 28 that Marcos would attend UNGA 80. That plan was in place just days before the session formally opened on September 9. Less than a week later, Malacañang announced that Marcos would skip the high-level event and that Lazaro, who officially assumed her post as DFA Secretary on July 1, 2025, would instead lead the Philippine delegation. The General Debate is set for September 23 to 27 and concludes on September 29, 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The annual High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly is a crucial forum for world leaders to present national priorities, strengthen alliances, and discuss global challenges, including security, economic recovery, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Marcos’ absence means the Philippines will miss an opportunity for direct presidential-level diplomacy at a time when regional tensions in the Indo-Pacific remain high.
Still, with Secretary Lazaro at the helm of the delegation, Manila is expected to push forward its positions on maritime security, multilateral cooperation, and economic partnerships, ensuring continuity in the country’s foreign policy direction.
