16 April 2015

On 15 April 2015 in Lübeck, Germany, the G7 Foreign Ministers issued a Declaration on Maritime Security where they expressed their concerns on ‘’unilateral actions, such as large scale land reclamation, which change the status quo and increased tensions.’’ The Declaration also called for  international efforts ‘’to strengthen maritime governance in pursuit of rules-based, sustainable use of seas and oceans.”

The Philippines welcomes the Declaration as it underlines the international community’s commitment to uphold the principles of international law, in particular the 1982 United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which underpin the stable maritime code that serves our common interests.

The Philippines reiterates its call for a stop to unilateral actions that violate the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and international law. Such actions undermine efforts to pursue the peaceful, rules-based resolution of the disputes in the South China Sea and to promote regional stability. END