DFA: Defend Unclos by upholding 2016 arbitral ruling

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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday that upholding the 2016 Arbitral Award was a prime example of defending the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (Unclos).

“We adhered to Unclos’ dispute resolution mechanisms through the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, underscoring that claims exceeding geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under Unclos are without legal effect,” the DFA said in a statement commemorating Unclos’ 30th anniversary.

READ: Uphold Unclos to ensure peace, stability in South China Sea — DFA

The Philippines was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Unclos in 1994.

“We continue to call for compliance with the 2016 Arbitral Award and we appreciate the growing acknowledgement of the award as an unassailable part of the corpus of international law,” the DFA added.

The 2016 arbitral ruling reaffirmed the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone in the western region and rejected China’s expansionist claims over the South China Sea. —Jacob Lazaro