PH Underscores Cooperation on Semi-Enclosed Seas under UNCLOS
Maritime and Ocean Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce delivers her presentation at the 3rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Implementing UNCLOS and other International Instruments to Address Emerging Maritime Issues held on 01-02 June 2021 via Cisco Webex. (DFA photo)
PASAY CITY, 03 June 2021 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office (MOAO) Maria Angela A. Ponce highlighted the importance of cooperation among States bordering semi-enclosed seas in the face of transboundary challenges, particularly with regard to the marine environment, during the 3rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshop on Implementing United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other International Instruments to Address Emerging Maritime Issues held on 01-02 June 2021.
“In the face of transboundary challenges particularly with regard to the marine environment, States usually prefer having the option to cooperate and adopt compatible approaches to address issues of mutual concern”, stated Assistant Secretary Ponce.
She further explained that the holistic nature of the ocean implies that any activity in one area has an interrelated impact in other areas and this has been recognized by international law. UNCLOS provides not just individual rights of states, but, more importantly, their collective obligation especially with regard to the protection of the marine environment and the obligation to cooperate should be read in the context of all relevant provisions under UNCLOS.
Assistant Secretary Ponce provided an overview of existing regional cooperation arrangements and concluded that the confluence of legal, policy, scientific, and operational frameworks is crucial to enable robust cooperation on a bilateral, regional, or multilateral level.
The other sessions dealt with emerging challenges in the maritime domain, cooperation towards sustainable management and conservation of marine resources, and regional cooperation on maritime safety and security.
The two-day workshop, held simultaneously online and in-person, was jointly organized by the foreign ministries of Vietnam, India, Australia, Canada, and the EU. It brought together some 200 participants from 27 ARF countries, as well as representatives from regional and international organizations, diplomatic missions, ministries and agencies.
The ASEAN Regional Forum was established in 1994 with the main objective of building trust and strengthening regional dialogue with ASEAN as the center. Twenty-seven countries and territories and international organizations are members, with the Philippines as one of the founding members. END