International Law Colloquium Yields Recommendations for PH Government

05 December 2017 MANILA – Valuable insights and recommendations for the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Government were made Monday, December 04 at the 2017 Colloquium of International Law Issues which was organized by the DFA Office of Legal Affairs, in partnership with the Foreign Service Institute and the University of the Philippines Law Center’s Institute for International Legal Studies (UPLC-IILS).

“The Colloquium is an effort to consult and involve the private sector and the academe in proactively shaping an international law agenda for the country by surfacing international law issues that affect Philippine entities in various legal, economic and social transactions,” DFA Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs J. Eduardo Malaya said. Enhancing international legal and judicial cooperation, and trade and investment facilitation were the focus of the colloquium.

Professor Rommel Casis of the UPLC-IILS surveyed existing international conventions in the field of international economic law and recommended to the Philippine Government to consider accession to the Convention on the International Sale of Goods, U.N. Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts and the Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific. These measures will facilitate inter-state trade and boost PH exports and economic competitiveness.

Similarly, canvassing Conventions under the auspices of The Hague Conference on Private International Law, UP Law Professor Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan batted for Philippine accession to the Apostille Convention, Evidence Convention, Service Convention, Child Abduction Convention and the Child Support Convention. Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras also presented extradition, mutual legal assistance, and transfer of sentenced persons as three effective tools of international legal cooperation.

Justice (Ret.) Adolfo Azcuna of the Philippine Judicial Academy and DFA Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Manuel Antonio Teehankee served as the reactors during the presentations. FSI Director General Claro S. Cristobal gave the opening remarks.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen graced the event as luncheon keynote speaker on the state and future directions of international law in the country.

Conducted at the Hotel Jen in Pasay City, the event brought together 120 international law experts and practitioners from the public and private sectors, and the academe.

The revival of the Philippine Yearbook of International Law was announced during the program. A publication by the UP Law Center and the Philippine Society of International Law, it was last published in the year 1989. The Yearbook will feature scholarly articles on International Law, and major judicial decisions promulgated and international agreements concluded during the year. Its 2017 issue will include the proceedings of the Colloquium.

Atty. Romel Bagares of the Philippine Society of International Law, Atty. Andre Palacios of the IBP International Law and International Affairs Committee and Professor Jemy Gatdula of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations gave presentations on their respective organizations’ activities. Notably, it was announced that the Philippines will host the Seventh Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law in 2019. END