Secretary Manalo highlights PH contribution to Rule of Law as UN adopts resolution on the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
HANOI 02 August 2023 – Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo welcomed the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution presented by the Philippines and a core group of countries which recognizes the important role of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The resolution invites Member States and organizations of the United Nations system to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the PCA.
“In the spirit of the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, this is yet another contribution of the Philippines to upholding the rule of law in preserving and maintaining international order and the reflects our deep and unwavering commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes,” stated the Secretary.
“The Philippines thanks the 122 co-sponsors, especially Australia, Egypt, Guatemala, Hungary, and Thailand who were members of our core group in supporting this resolution and ensuring its adoption by consensus,” said Manalo.
The UNGA resolution encourages member states to avail of the services of the PCA, which complement the mission of the UN to promote international peace and the development of international law.
“The consensus adoption of the resolution shows that countries do see the merit of upholding the rule of international law and credible dispute settlement mechanisms like the PCA -- to deal with their differences through diplomacy, peacefully, and not by force or intimidation,” said Manalo.
PCA Secretary General Marcin Czepelak welcomed the resolution’s “very important message calling for universal accession to the PCA founding conventions.”
The PCA, established by treaty in 1899, with 122 contracting parties, is an intergovernmental organization, based in The Hague, The Netherlands, that provides a variety of dispute resolution services to the international community. The PCA administers four of the five dispute settlement methods recommended in Article 33 of the U.N. Charter – namely enquiry, mediation, conciliation and arbitration, complementing the work on judicial settlement by the International Court of Justice. Philippine Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya is the President of the PCA’s Administrative Council. END