Permanent Court of Arbitration chief Czepelak visits Philippines

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Secretary-General Marcin Czepelak made a visit to the Philippines coinciding with the organization’s 125th anniversary, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Wednesday.

“We appreciate his visit which provides a valuable opportunity to discuss and strengthen our country's collaboration with the PCA,” Año said in a statement.

“As a member-state, we look forward to engaging in meaningful dialogues to further the PCA's mission of resolving disputes and advancing international law and the rules-based international order,” he added.

This is Czepelak’s first visit to the country.

Año pointed out the important role of PCA in international dispute resolution particularly in the South China Sea (SCS), which the Philippines won over China in 2016.

“The 2016 ruling by a tribunal organized by the PCA remains a significant milestone in our country's assertion of the primacy of international law,” he said.

“The tribunal's decision affirmed the Philippines' rights to its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), rejecting China's extensive claims based on historical grounds,” he added.

For Año, Czepelak's visit to the Philippines underscored PCA's “dedication in engaging with member states to advance its objectives and foster dialogue on legal and diplomatic issues.”

 

 #PCA News: Visit of #PCA Secretary-General to the Philippines #PCA Secretary-General @Marcin_Czepelak started his visit to the #Philippines  with a courtesy call on @DFAPHL Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo (@SecManalo).

With 2 int'l offices in #HaNoi & in… pic.twitter.com/WzHJsfs3Ne

— Permanent Court of Arbitration (@PCA_CPA) August 27, 2024

 In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening, the PCA said Czepelak started his visit with a meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

“With two international offices in Hanoi and in Singapore, the PCA continues its outreach activities in the region,” PCA said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Czepelak called on Manalo at the DFA office in Pasay City on Tuesday morning.

“In his call on Secretary Manalo, Dr. Czepelak recognized the Philippines' support for the international organization, including with the role of Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya as acting President of the PCA Administrative Council, the PCA’s policymaking body, for term 2023-2024,” it said.

The PCA head is set to meet with the country’s arbitration community in a forum by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, as well as speak before law practitioners, the academe, and students at a forum in Ateneo.

Czepelak made the visit to the Philippines amid the ongoing tensions in the SCS as China keeps on pushing its massive claim in the area despite the 2016 ruling.—AOL, GMA Integrated News