It stands for ‘triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition’
President Duterte has raised the country's arbitral win against China in the South China Sea dispute before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saying the country rejects any attempt to undermine such an award.
In his pre-recorded message to the virtual UN gathering, the President said the arbitral ruling has become part of international law, adding that it stands for "the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition.”
"We must remain mindful of our obligations and commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and as amplified by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes. The Philippines affirms that commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 Arbitral Award," Duterte said.
"The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish, or abandon. We firmly reject attempts to undermine it," he said in his first-ever address before the world body.
In July, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines after it nullified China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea. Beijing, however, refused to recognize the tribunal's decision and pressed ahead with its controversial reclamation works in the disputed territory.
In the same remarks at the UN assembly, Duterte welcomed the support shown by some countries for the arbitral award.
"We welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for — the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition. This – as it should - is the majesty of the law," he said.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom recently sent a joint note verbale to the UN that rejected China's excessive claims in the disputed water. The three nations argued that the exercise of historic rights over South China Sea do not adhere with international law and with provisions under UNCLOS. They likewise invoked the 2016 arbitral award won by the Philippines against China on the South China Sea dispute.
At the start of his term, President Duterte agreed to pursue a bilateral consultation mechanism with China to manage the South China Sea dispute while pursuing closer economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing. He has also ruled out going to war with China over the territory due to concerns that it would lead to the massacre of local troops.
Bold reforms pushed
In the same meeting, Duterte called on the UN to implement bold reforms to effectively fulfill its mandate of ensuring peace, security, human rights protection, as well as better address challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic.
The President used his debut at the virtual UN General Assembly to press for reforms that will change the UN's “business as usual” approach and instead strengthen and streamline the international organization.
“The UN remains humanity’s essential organization. But it is only as effective as we make it,” Duterte said in a video message at the global body marking its 75th anniversary.
“To make significant changes, we need to be bold. We need the same collective courage that finally made the United Nations a reality 75 years ago,” he added.
Duterte has called for action “on long-standing recommendations to improve the Security Council’s composition and working methods, to strengthen the role of the General Assembly, and to streamline the processes and the operations of the UN.”
“Indeed, to be ready for the new global normal, it cannot be business as usual for the UN,” he said.
“Let us empower the UN, reform it, to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” he added.
The UN must also be strengthened to fully deliver its mandate to maintain peace and security, uphold justice and human rights, and promote freedom and social progress for all, according to the President.
Coronavirus is world’s biggest test
Duterte also pointed to the coronavirus pandemic as the biggest test the world and the United Nations faced since World War II.
He said the invisible enemy has caused “a crisis without precedent.”
“While the United Nations has brought relief and hope to so many countries and peoples around the world, it now finds itself saddled by a virus that has taken many lives and wrecked economies and social order,” he said.
With the world now at a crossroads, Duterte said how the world addresses the pandemic will define its future.
“For the Philippines, this means putting up all of the peoples of our united nations at the core of this response,” he said.
“We will need to ask hard and fundamental questions about the vision and mission that the United Nations conceptualized 75 years ago. We need to ask ourselves whether or not we have remained true and faithful to the United Nations’ principles and ideals,” he added.
President Duterte previously branded the UN as “inutile” for supposedly failing to prevent wars and impose punitive action on sea piracy. He had earlier lashed out at the UN for criticizing his war on drugs but keeping silent on atrocities in other parts of the world.