PH urges countries to call out violators of int'l maritime law amid China row

The Philippines urged countries to call out those who disregard international maritime law and engage in aggressive actions that put lives at risk and undermine security of vessels and aircraft.

At the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who co-chaired a maritime forum attended by 40 countries, including Philippine ally United States and other friendly nations, warned of "increasing illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions" at sea.

"The oceans that connect our nations also commit us to a shared responsibility: keeping our seas peaceful, secure and stable, for the benefit of all. In pursuit of this, we are guided by the UNCLOS, the constitution of the ocean," Lazaro said in her remarks at the meeting that did not include China, which the Philippines has accused of harassing and performing dangerous maneuvers against its vessels, coast guard, military and fishermen.

Lazaro said countries must reject actions "that risk the lives of seafarers, compromise the safety of vessels and aircraft, and impede the inherent rights of fisherfolk to fish."

"International cooperation, guided by international law, illuminates the way forward," Lazaro said. 

"Let us continue our dialogue on various maritime issues, and call out actions that undermine maritime safety and security, and violate international law, particularly UNCLOS," the Foreign Affairs chief said, referring to UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Lazaro also called for "peaceful resolution of maritime disputes, and respect to and adherence of the legally binding decisions of the relevant international courts and tribunals, including the landmark 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea," which invalidated China's massive claim over the resource-waters.

Confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships in the disputed waters in recent years.

China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety and has deployed much larger fleets of coast guard, navy and suspected maritime militia ships in the past years to assert that extensive claim against smaller claimant states, which are the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

The Philippines challenged the validity of China's sprawling territorial claims in the South China Sea and sought to clarify the territorial entitlements of certain Chinese-occupied features under the UNCLOS. Manila won the case against China filed with the International Court of Arbitration. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.

Need for compliance

Japan, one of the Philippines' co-hosts of the forum on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), along with the US, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Australia and the United Kingdom, said "in order to maintain the maritime order, it is extremely important to comply with international law," particularly the UNCLOS.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said UNCLOS "sets out the universal and unified legal framework governing all activities in the oceans and the seas."

Iwaya said Japan is committed to work with the international community in upholding the international order based on the rule of law and achieve a secure and stable maritime domain.

Lazaro said there is an "urgent need to reinforce and adhere to the body of legal instruments, rules, and norms that govern the maritime domain—the foremost of which is UNCLOS."

"We reaffirm our commitment to abide by its principles, preserve its integrity, and identify its various applications," said Lazaro, adding that maritime cooperation at the bilateral, regional and multilateral level, such as holding of maritime cooperative activities, is crucial in upholding freedom of navigation and overflight. — VDV, GMA Integrated News