By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippines will use the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award as the foundation for its negotiations on a long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea with China and fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Friday.
Speaking during a conference in Pasay City marking the 10th anniversary of the historic arbitral ruling, Lazaro said the decision remains the country’s principal legal and policy framework in pursuing a rules-based approach to managing tensions in the disputed waters.
“We will use the arbitral award as our clear legal and policy baseline in engaging our partners and in pursuing an effective and legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” Lazaro said.
She reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to concluding the negotiations before the end of the year, describing the talks as an important step toward promoting regional peace, stability, and adherence to international law.
In a separate interview, Lazaro disclosed that ASEAN member states and China have been holding monthly negotiations, with each round producing what she described as meaningful progress.
According to the foreign affairs chief, discussions have focused on resolving four major issues that remain under negotiation before the proposed Code of Conduct can be finalized.
Among the key issues are the relationship between the proposed Code of Conduct and the existing Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), whether the agreement should be legally binding, the geographic scope of the COC, and the interpretation of important provisions, including the concept of self-restraint.
Lazaro said several ASEAN member states have also prepared separate position papers proposing possible solutions to some of the remaining contentious issues in an effort to accelerate negotiations.
The Philippines has consistently advocated for a legally binding Code of Conduct to help prevent conflicts, reduce tensions, and establish clear rules governing activities in the South China Sea.
The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Despite China’s continued rejection of the ruling, the Philippines has maintained that the arbitral award is final, legally binding, and a cornerstone of its foreign policy in defending the country’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.
ia/xf
