MANILA, Philippines – The European parliament adopted a resolution on March 14 approving a report that included its support for the Philippines’ arbitration initiative, under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in clarifying the country’s maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday.
In the report, a paragraph on the West Philippine Sea stated that the parliament “underlines the global importance of the South China Sea through which one third of the world’s trade passes; is alarmed at the escalating tension and therefore urgently appeals to all parties
involved to refrain from unilateral political and military actions, to tone down statements and to settle their conflicting territorial claims in the South China Seas by means of international arbitration in accordance with international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to ensure regional stability.”
Read more: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/24/934343/european-parliament-backs-arbitration