Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Galvez emphasizes rule of law, multilateralism in addressing 'disputes'
Philippines
National
Galvez emphasizes rule of law, multilateralism in addressing 'disputes'
Galvez emphasizes rule of law, multilateralism in addressing 'disputes'
Published Jun 4, 2023 09:33 am
Countries should adhere to the primacy of the rule of law and engage in peaceful dialogues and multilateralism to resolve various disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.
Department of National Defense OIC Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. speaks at the
*20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore on June 3, 2023. (Photo by DND)
* This was highlighted by Department of National Defense (DND) OIC Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as he raised the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) at the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore on Saturday, June 3. Dubbed as “Asia’s premier defense summit”, the SLD is an annual gathering of defense ministers, senior military officials, diplomats, security experts, and practitioners to usher significant debates on the region’s most pressing security issues. In his speech, Galvez underscored how upholding the primacy of the rule of law and the continued pursuit of dialogue and multilateralism, or an alliance of multiple countries that share a common goal, could help address the territorial dispute by the Philippines and China in the WPS. “As the old adage goes, ‘Good fences make good neighbors,’ as it is only when neighbors have clear boundaries and respect for such boundaries would relations remain genuinely amicable,” he said.Rule of law
Speaking before his foreign counterparts from different countries, Galvez encouraged "all parties who subscribe to the rule of law" to express support for the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award. “The Philippines has always believed that international law is the greatest equalizer among states,” he said. “It is exactly this belief that made us confidently resort to the compulsory dispute settlement mechanism of the UN [United Nations] Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Hague Tribunal.” UNCLOS refers to an international agreement adopted in 1982 which “lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.” Meanwhile, the arbitration award or Hague ruling was issued by a UN arbitral court in 2016, rejecting China’s historical “nine-dash line” claims in almost the entire South China Sea (SCS), including the area which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) now known as the WPS. However, Beijing refused to recognize the arbitral ruling. “We underscore that the award is not directed at any country, with the Philippines seeing it as it should be seen: as favoring all nations subscribing to the rule of law,” Galvez said, adding that the UNCLOS and the Hague ruling will continue to be the “twin anchors” of the Philippines’ policies and actions in the WPS and the broader SCS.‘Wars are not inevitable’
On the other hand, Galvez noted the importance of multilateralism in fostering the political will and mutual trust needed for constructive dialogue between conflicting nations. He welcomed the recent statement from the leaders of G7 expressing their support to the Philippines’ claims in the SCS and opposing China’s militarization in the region. G7 or the Group of Seven is an alliance of seven of the world’s most advanced economies namely Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States. “We welcome the G7’s recent statement which reaffirms the legally-binding nature of the award, and all other statements made by governments around the world which uphold the ruling as a milestone in corpus of international law,” the DND OIC said. For Galvez, the G7’s support serves as an “affirmation of the preeminence of the law” and the “triumph of amity over ambition.” He acknowledged that “wars are not inevitable” but these happen as a result of countries’ “grave failure to resolve our fundamental differences.” “Acting in isolation and decoupling amid the declining state of goodwill in the region would only serve the return of an iron curtain that will undermine any potential for confidence-building and cooperation between and among us,” he said. He then pushed for the finalization of a Code of Conduct in the SCS between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. “The preservation of the long peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific rests on our accountability to the rule of law and the success of our cooperation amid our diversity,” Galvez said. “As we face increasing geopolitical risks, which are compounded even further by the consequences of climate change and the legacy of the pandemic, the Philippines remains committed to diplomacy and dialogue to build the aggregated resilience of the region as a whole,” he concluded.