The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has conducted a three-day workshop other members of the Association of Southeast Asian on how to peacefully settle maritime disputes.
The exercise came as China continues to reject the ruling of the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the Philippines’ position in the South China Sea territorial dispute.
In statement, the DFA said the Philippines hosted the three-day Workshop on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes and Maritime Boundary Delimitation that started on July 12.
The workshop sought discussions on how to handle maritime disputes, like what the Philippines, a country that was favored by the arbitral ruling as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has done.
The DFA stressed that the workshop focused on two major themes: first was dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS, and the second was maritime boundary delimitation procedure.
In her remarks, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela Ponce noted that “the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award, whose 6th anniversary was on July 12, is a demonstration of the Philippines’ commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes through UNCLOS.”
German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel supported the country’s position by highlighting the contribution of the Award to the rule of law in the disputed waters.
The workshop, co-organized by DFA’s Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office, the Office of ASEAN Affairs and the Max Planck Foundation (MPF) for International Peace and the Rule of Law, was attended by representatives of the ASEAN countries’ foreign and justice ministries and their respective agencies that cover maritime issues.