The Philippines lobbied anew with the United Nations for the rule of law in heading off international conflict, citing a 30-year-old declaration on the peaceful resolution of such disputes.

Philippine Mission Deputy Permanent Representative Carlos Sorreta stressed this at the UN Security Council's general debate on the agenda item on “Justice and the Rule of Law.”

He highlighted the adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1982 of the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes as a reiteration of “our high regard for law and justice when faced with potential or actual disputes.”

The Philippines is now disputing parts of the the Spratly Islands with China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

"(While) we need to continue to work together to rebuild societies ravaged by conflicts and to ensure that democratic institutions and processes are established or strengthened, (the international community also needs to) continue to work as one to prevent the escalation of conflicts between States by respecting the rule of law,” he said.

Sorreta also pointed out that “time and again, conflicts – ideological, political, military and territorial – have arisen when the rule of law is weak.”

For his part, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Libran Cabactulan said the Philippine position “brought to the fore another aspect of the rule of law which should rightly be given equal emphasis.”

“The rule of law has largely been seen in the context of post-conflict scenarios when all too often the tragic price in terms of the loss of human lives and in destruction has already been paid. We need to broaden and enrich the debate in the United Nations on the rule of law to include conflict prevention and dispute resolution. We must not tire in the efforts to prevent international conflicts,” Cabactulan said.

Cabactulan also underscored that members of the international community have obligations to comply with, as stated in the United Nations Charter, particularly on the pacific settlement of dispute, in other international instruments as well as UN General Assembly resolutions.

These include Resolution 37/10 which adopted the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes.

“These obligations and commitments are spelled out clearly and reiterated throughout international instruments and General Assembly resolutions. We need to abide by and renew our pledge [to these] commitments, otherwise we go against the raison d’etre as members of the United Nations,” Cabactulan said.

He added it is important to remind the international community of these standing obligations.

30th anniversary

Meanwhile, Cabactulan said the Philippines will stage events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Manila Declaration.

The Manila Declaration was under the item Peaceful settlement of disputes between States by the United Nations General Assembly on November 15, 1982, on the basis of a text prepared by the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization at its 1980 session, held in Manila.

It is considered the first important instrument of the work of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, and one of its significant achievements. — LBG, GMA News