Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

PH joins int’l community in celebrating UNCLOS' 42nd anniversary

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Philippines on Tuesday joined the international community in underscoring the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that the country’s commitment to the Convention “has been manifested in concrete actions.”The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) gave the statement as the international community marked the 42nd anniversary of the Convention.“As it upholds its lawful claim to its maritime entitlements, the Philippines has continued to engage coastal neighbors through discussions on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, and the extended continental shelf, measured from lawfully-drawn baselines where these maritime zones may overlap,” the DFA said.“This readiness to engage fully within the parameters set by UNCLOS is a testament to our unwavering belief in the peaceful means of settling disputes, and the rule of law and the rules-based international order,” the agency said.The Philippines has adhered to UNCLOS’ dispute resolution mechanisms when it filed an arbitration case against China in the South China Sea, “underscoring that claims exceeding geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS are without legal effect,” the statement said.“We continue to call for compliance with the 2016 Arbitral Award and we appreciate the growing acknowledgement of the Award as an unassailable part of the corpus of international law,” it read.The Philippines described the UNCLOS as the “cornerstone for a peaceful and prosperous maritime domain, where the rights and interests of all States are respected and protected.”“The Philippines takes immense pride in its contributions to the negotiation and the promotion of UNCLOS,” the DFA said.“As we mark this annual celebration, the Philippines reaffirms its dedication to uphold the provisions and the principles enshrined in UNCLOS in furtherance of our national interest and humanity’s aspiration for peace and prosperity.”The Philippines is among the nations that was first to sign and ratify the Convention nearly 5 decades ago.The country cited the Convention when it drafted and passed the Philippine Baselines act, and more recently the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

The Philippines on Tuesday joined the international community in underscoring the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that the country’s commitment to the Convention “has been manifested in concrete actions.”

The Philippines on Tuesday joined the international community in underscoring the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that the country’s commitment to the Convention “has been manifested in concrete actions.”