Photo courtesy: Philippine Embassy in Denmark
The Philippine Embassy in Denmark hosted a discussion on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with 21 students of the International Peoples’ College (IPC) on Oct. 14, as part of efforts to raise awareness about the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The activity supports the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) campaign to promote broader understanding of the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic nation and to underscore the importance of upholding international law in maritime governance.
During the session, Embassy officials provided an overview of the Philippines’ maritime boundaries and emphasized the country’s commitment to the UNCLOS as the legal framework governing maritime rights and responsibilities.
They also discussed the historic case filed by the Philippines in 2013 before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, aimed at defending the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea and affirming its adherence to a rules-based international order.
The Embassy also presented a summary of the tribunal’s July 12, 2016 ruling, which upheld the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under UNCLOS and invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
The Embassy expressed hope that the discussion helped deepen the students’ understanding of the issue and encouraged them to become advocates for the international rules-based order.
The IPC students, for their part, thanked the Embassy for its initiative to promote greater awareness of the complex issues surrounding the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.
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