08 March 2016- Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary (Vice Minister) for Policy Evan P. Garcia conducted a luncheon briefing on security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region on March 04 in Berne, Switzerland.

The briefing, which was attended by a select group of Swiss officials, including members of the Parliament, as well as representatives from the academe, think tanks and media, tackled various aspects of security concerns in the region such as the shift in the geostrategic and economic landscape, climate change, environmental degradation and transnational crimes. The important role of ASEAN as a mechanism for regional stability was also underscored.

The briefing provided a new and more holistic perspective on the dispute in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea and a better understanding of the Philippine position on the issue.

Undersecretary Garcia explained that the Philippines has always advocated for a principled cooperation based on mutual respect and the rule of law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. END