DFA Statement on the G7 Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement and Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity of 14 March 2025

MANILA 26 March 2025 – The Philippines welcomes anew the G7 Foreign Ministers' reaffirmation of their collective position on the South China Sea as articulated in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement and their Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity, issued in Charlevoix, Canada on 14 March 2025.

We acknowledge, in particular, the G7’s objection to illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions, and appreciate its consistent expression of concern over the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. 

We also acknowledge the G7’s pronouncements on the importance of coastal states refraining from unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment, including land reclamation and the building of outposts, and attempts to change the status quo by the establishment of new geographical facts.

We appreciate the G7’s consistent reaffirmation that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the legal framework for governing all activities in the oceans and the seas. We are likewise encouraged by the G7's consistent acknowledgment of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, further confirming its status as an unassailable part of the corpus of international law.

The Philippines joins the G7’s commitment to upholding a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region. The Philippines likewise confirms its vision of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability and prosperity, and will continue to call for the cessation of interference, obstruction and harassment of the Philippines' legal activities within our recognized maritime entitlements. END