MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has reiterated its call for signatory states to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including China, to respect the treaty amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
The government made the appeal during the 24th meeting of state parties to UNCLOS in New York last week.
In the appeal, the Philippines asked state parties to preserve the integrity of the treaty and the institutions created under it, particularly those established for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
It said the “rights and duties of state parties go hand in hand” and all are “obliged to observe the treaty in its entirety.”
It cited the importance of UNCLOS in governing the rights and obligations of parties in the sustainable use of the world’s oceans and resources, and the viable mechanisms it provides for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.