THE Philippines is looking for a more specific content of the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea/West
Philippine Sea (DOC) by the Association of South East Asian Nations
(Asean).
In his speech at the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting Monday,
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario called
on his regional counterparts to join in pushing for a more comprehensive
Code of Conduct (COC) being created by the Asean Working Group.
“The Philippines hopes that the Code of Conduct will be a real ‘move
forward’ not merely in terms of form, but more importantly in
substance,” del Rosario told his colleagues in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
He said the Philippines believe that the COC must include guidelines
by which stakeholder-states are to conduct themselves in the West
Philippine Sea; as well as the setting of mechanisms on dispute
settlement including the appropriate structure for its effective
implementation.
Also being pushed by the country is the clarification and segregation
of disputed from non-disputed areas in accordance with international
law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(Unclos); and the crafting of provisions relating to cooperative
activities, as may be appropriate, for the disputed areas.
“We believe that a rules-based approach under the dispute settlement
mechanism established in UNCLOS is the legitimate solution in addressing
conflicting and overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea,” added
del Rosario.
Aside from the Philippines, the West Philippine Sea, particularly the
Spratly Islands, is being disputed by fellow Asean members Brunei,
Malaysia, and Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan.
The DFA chief also opined that it would be best if such a compact
guideline would be set first by the region before involving other
parties.
“It is important for Asean to first agree among themselves on the
draft text of the COC before meeting with China,” said del Rosario.
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SunStar.Com.Ph | April 2, 2012 | Article Link
