'Sydney Declaration' increases regional cooperation on South China Sea

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 22): 'Sydney Declaration' increases regional cooperation on South China Sea

The level of regional cooperation, particularly on maritime security, has increased with the joint statement of Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) taking a strong position against aggressive acts in the South China Sea, an expert said Thursday.

At the recently concluded ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, leaders issued a joint statement titled “The Sydney Declaration” which affirmed each parties’ commitment to maintain and promote peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

While short of an explicit reference to the recent developments in some features in the West Philippine Sea, Dindo Manhit, president of think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute, noted that signatories acknowledged the importance of “non-militarization” in the area.

Manhit said he believes “the declaration has raised the level of regional cooperation amidst a changing geopolitical environment where the Philippines is a major stakeholder.”

Aside from underscoring the importance of non-militarization, the declaration stressed “the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may complicate the situation.”

“We reaffirm the need for states to pursue the peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to comply with the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO),” it read.

China and other littoral countries such as Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and the Philippines have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

Multilaterally, China and the bloc had already agreed to proceed on the negotiations of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

Claimant-to-claimant, the Philippines and China established its bilateral consultative mechanism on the sea lane.

The conclusion of COC is seen to result to a more binding edict as enshrined in the 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) which is aimed at reducing tensions in the region and prevent claimant-countries from aggressively pursuing their claims.

During the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, parties expressed support to the full and effective implementation of the DOC “in its entirety” and also looked forward to an early conclusion of an “effective COC.”

“ASEAN’s unequivocal support for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and non-militarization springs a new momentum for the government and a strong message against actions that run counter to building regional trust and confidence,” Manhit said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1029692