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Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star
June 27, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, in time for next months’ 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, has called on members of the United Nations and the international community to reaffirm the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the constitution that governs the oceans of the world.
Actively participating in the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the Law of the Sea (SPLOS 36) held on June 15 to 19 at the UN headquarters in New York, Manila urged the international community to reaffirm the central role of UNCLOS as the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas.
The Philippine delegation was led by Enrique Manalo, ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, and Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Donato Guzman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who were joined by the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
In a National Statement delivered under Agenda Item No. 12 of SPLOS 36, the Philippines cited the 10th anniversary of the issuance of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, crediting it as a guidepost for states on essential maritime matters and concerns, such as the invalidity of excessive or historical claims, the proper assessment of the status of maritime features, the activities at sea deemed prejudicial to the rights of the relevant coastal state and the obligations of states parties for the protection and conservation of the marine environment.
In several interventions throughout SPLOS36, the DFA said the Philippines also called for compliance with decisions and rulings duly rendered through the compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS, such as the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and respect for decisions as well as respect for the advisory opinions that provide authoritative clarity to its provisions, such as the 2024 ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Case No. 31 on Climate Change and International Law.
ITLOS is the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
The Philippines emphasized that these judicial decisions and arbitral awards rendered under UNCLOS benefit all states.
“By clarifying the content of international law, they provide guidance, strengthen legal certainty and support the peaceful and predictable governance of the oceans.”
The Philippines expressed its continuing support for the implementing bodies of the UNCLOS: ITLOS, the International Seabed Authority and the Commission on the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf.
“These institutions play indispensable and complementary roles in maintaining the integrity of the legal order of the sea and ensuring the effective implementation of the Convention.”
