MIRIAM SPEAKS AT TOPRATED DOHA FORUM

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, left yesterday (May 2) to speak at the world-famous Doha Forum in Qatar attended by present and past heads of states, foreign ministers, heads of think tanks, and leading professors.

The Qatar Emir, H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, will preside in the opening ceremony attended by 309 participants representing 70 countries.

The Qatar embassy in Manila invited Santiago to speak at the session on "Authority of the Law, Global Governance," where she will sit with the World Economic Forum CEO Claus Schwab, and other authorities on international law and relations.

Santiago, the Philippine nominee to the International Court of Justice last year, will speak on "International Responsibility and the Rule of Law."

The Qatar Forum, held annually and televised on BBC, is considered one of the most prestigious think tanks in international law and governance.

The 9th Doha Forum will deal with the topics of democracy, development, and free trade.

Other members of the Philippine delegation headed by Santiago are Miguel Valera, chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Artemio Panganiban, retired chief justice; and Commissioner Nenalyn Defensor of the Commission on Higher Education.