PH Contribution to UNCLOS’ Development Highlighted in Commemorative Forum
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and Assistant Postmaster General Francis T. Cereno unveil the UNCLOS@40 commemorative stamp.
MANILA 09 DECEMBER 2022 – The Philippines’ significant contribution to the development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was highlighted in a forum organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) today at the Manila Diamond Hotel, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Convention’s opening for signature.
The forum featured officials of the DFA and other Philippine Government agencies, who played significant roles in the negotiation and adoption of UNCLOS following the 3rd Conference in 1982, and the Philippine implementation of its principles over the last 40 years.
In his keynote speech, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo underscored that the Philippines and the DFA have always been “at the forefront of UNCLOS’ development through the decades – from its negotiation to its application.” The Secretary expressed hope that the Philippines’ “unwavering commitment to promote a rules-based international order” will strengthen the international community’s “resolve to ensure that UNCLOS will remain the lynchpin of maritime governance for decades to come.”
Sessions were devoted to key aspects of UNCLOS – the archipelagic doctrine, maritime delimitation, extended continental shelf, peaceful settlement of disputes, and marine scientific research. The presentations were delivered by some of the Philippine Government’s maritime and legal experts, including DFA Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta, DFA Assistant Secretary Maria Angela Ponce (Maritime and Ocean Affairs), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority Deputy Administrator Efren Carandang, DFA Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto (Consular Affairs), and DFA Assistant Secretary Domingo Nolasco (Treaties and Legal Affairs).
The sessions each had a panel of expert reactors which included other DFA and Philippine Government officials, Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo, and members of the academe. A wrap-up session summarizing the discussions was conducted by Assistant Secretary Ponce. DFA Assistant Secretary Kira Danganan-Azucena delivered the closing remarks.
The event was attended by Philippine Government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and academics.
To mark this important milestone, Secretary Manalo and Philippine Assistant Postmaster General Francis T. Cereno unveiled and launched the Philippines’ postal stamp commemorating the 40th Anniversary of UNCLOS. The stamp, designed by Mr. Marthy Angue of the DFA, features the Philippine delegation, led by Senator Arturo M. Tolentino, at one of the sessions of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea.
The Philippines signed UNCLOS on December 10, 1982 – the day the Convention was opened for signature in Montego Bay, Jamaica. END
From left: DFA Undersecretary de Vega (Migrant Workers Affairs), Assistant Secretary Danganan-Azucena, Ambassador Garcia, Secretary Manalo, Assistant Postmaster General Cereno, Assistant Secretary Ponce, and Assistant Secretary Nolasco. (Photos by DFA-OPCD Camille Barizo)