MANILA 12 July 2023 – To mark the 7th anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs launches a microsite on the Award, to provide a central resource for official information and positions on the Award and its contributions to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes through UNCLOS and international law.
The Philippines regards the Award in the South China Sea Arbitration of 12 July 2016 as a significant contribution to international law and the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Award conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. Claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction beyond the geographic and substantive limits of UNCLOS-provided maritime entitlements are without legal effect.
To provide accurate information on the 2016 Arbitral Award, the microsite provides links to resources including the material submitted to the Tribunal and made available by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Statements of the Department of Foreign Affairs on the South China Sea Arbitration – starting with the statement made by the late Secretary of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Albert del Rosario on 22 January 2013, announcing the decision to pursue “UNCLOS Arbitral Proceedings against China to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the dispute in the West Philippine Sea”; the legal and geographic scope of the West Philippine Sea; answers to Frequently Asked Questions; as well as links to Other Resources relevant to the subject.
According to MOAO-DFA Assistant Secretary Maria Angela Ponce, “the microsite gathers material, many of which is already available through various channels, and organizes them in a useful format, which we hope will be useful for the public in general. We understand that the issue is complex and may be confusing, so this is an attempt to clear some of the fog. It is a work-in-progress site, but I feel it is an important start to gaining a better understanding of the complex issues faced by the Philippines in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.”
The Department received support from many government agencies in preparing the website and securing the material presented, in particular the Office of the Press Secretary, NAMRIA-DENR, the Philippine Coast Guard and AFP-WESCOM. The website is in partial fulfillment of the DFA’s commitment to promote better understanding of the 2016 Arbitral Award as a Philippine contribution to the peaceful settlement of disputes through international law. END.
_______________
PRESS RELEASE (PR-097-2023)
Reposted from the DFA
