Photo courtesy: Philippine Embassy in Rome
The Philippine Embassy in Rome, in partnership with the Festival della Diplomazia, hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Safeguarding Multilateralism: Upholding International Law in the West Philippine Sea” at the Centro Studi Americani.
The forum featured Dr. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS), who discussed the Philippines’ efforts to uphold international law in asserting its maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Batongbacal highlighted the strategic, economic, and ecological importance of the West Philippine Sea and explained how China’s actions led the Philippines to pursue arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He noted that the 2016 Arbitral Award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim and affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements within its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to multilateralism and international law, emphasizing that developments in the West Philippine Sea impact not only the Philippines but all nations that rely on the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific for trade and security.
Imperial also acknowledged Italy’s growing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, citing its recent naval visits to the Philippines as demonstrations of support for maritime stability and freedom of navigation.
The event was part of the 2025 edition of the Festival della Diplomazia, an annual international gathering in Rome that promotes dialogue on global issues, peace, and international cooperation.
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