In a speech before the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of heads of state and top diplomats from 193 countries, Del Rosario said maritime disputes have recently intensified in Asia and there was an urgent need for all governments to comply with their international obligations to settle those rifts "without threats or use of force, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas,” or UNCLOS.
UNCLOS, a 1982 accord by 163 countries that aims to govern the use of offshore areas and sets territorial limits of coastal states "has never been more relevant than it is today," Del Rosario told the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
Without identifying China by name but obviously referring to the Asian powerhouse, Del Rosario said the Philippines' disputes with its Asian neighbor have posed "the most serious challenge to the security of its maritime domain and integrity of its national territory, as well as its effective protection of its marine environment.”
"To address this challenge and to arrive at a durable resolution, we must rely on the rule of law and not the force of arms," he said.
"We must rely on the body of rules that state that disputes must be resolved peacefully. We must rely on the norms and rules enshrined in the UNCLOS, prescribing what can and cannot legally belong to a state."
"We, therefore, rely on our friends and allies and all those who believe in the peaceful and fair management of the seas and oceans to uphold the rule of law and UNCLOS," Del Rosario said. "We will endeavor to elicit a more proactive action from the General Assembly."
Del Rosario echoed UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremik's call for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, saying such nonviolent approach "is essential for the future peace, progress and prosperity of all nations."
“We often hear the quote that ‘we are a country of laws and not of men.’ I shall modify it to say that ‘we are a community of nations and not of hegemons,’” Del Rosario said.
All states, without exception, he noted, must “respect the international legal framework to utilize institutions and adhere to commitments in treaties and conventions.”
“If we achieve this, rather than being forced to accept that might is right, we will instead demonstrate that right is might,” Del Rosario said.
The Philippines and China, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have long disputed ownership of the Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea, a chain of islands, cays, reefs and atolls believed to be rich in oil and gas.
The disputed territories also straddle busy shipping routes and have been known to be teeming with fish and other marine resources.
Last year, the Philippines and Vietnam separately accused Chinese vessels of intruding into their territories in and near the Spratlys and of disrupting their oil exploration activities. But China has claimed it has sovereignty in those areas on historical grounds.
Chinese and Philippine government ships figured in a standoff starting in April at the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, a sprawling offshore area north of the Spratlys and off the country’s northeastern province of Zambales that both countries claim.
Manila has considered to elevate its disputes with China to a mediation body in the UN, but Del Rosario did not mention any update on that plan in his speech.
Throughout his speech, Del Rosario stressed the urgency of upholding the rule of law in many international issues, including the passage of international edicts that protect migrant workers.
The Philippines is among the world's largest labor exporters, mostly housemaids and construction workers to Asian, Middle Eastern and Western countries. Earnings sent home by about 10 million Filipino overseas workers are a lifeline to Manila's economy and fuel domestic spending amid the hard times worldwide.
"With a tenth of the population of our country in foreign lands, there is a very real and human dimension for our quest to strengthen the rule of law," Del Rosario said.
He said the Philippines has been among the principal advocates of developing norms of international law "that will protect not only our overseas Filipinos but all migrants."
"Human trafficking is a crime of such magnitude that it cannot be dealt with by a single nation or even a group of nations. The international community as a whole must stand together," he said.-GMA News (October 02, 2012 8:33AM)
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