Marcos rallies nations vs weapons of mass destruction

President Marcos called on nations yesterday to strengthen collaboration in controlling the export of strategic goods or items that can have both civilian and military applications, to ensure these do not become weapons of mass destruction.

- HELEN FLORES

Speaking at the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Summit in Taguig City, Marcos said emerging technologies – both in civilian and military fields – pose challenges in trade management.

“The rapid pace of advancement demands us to be more agile, more responsible and it requires us to address both the speed and dual-use nature of these new technologies,” Marcos said.

“This summit is not merely about managing trade; it is also about mitigating risks, promoting stability and confidence in our regulatory regimes and ensuring that the tools of our progress do not become weapons of our destruction,” he said.

The summit is an annual export control forum focusing on regulatory updates and best practices for the implementation of strategic trade management (STM) systems.

It also serves as a platform to discuss counter-proliferation challenges, such as emerging technology, intangible technology transfer, transit and transshipment and sanctions.