ASEAN AND CHINA LAUNCH OFFICIAL CONSULTATIONS ON CODE OF CONDUCT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA; PHL CALLS FOR DELIBERATE AND RULES-BASED PROCESS IN MOVING FORWARD 16 September 2013 - The Philippines attended the 6th Senior Officials Meeting and 9th Joint Working Group on Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea in Suzhou, China on September 14 and 15. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan P. Garcia, Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Teresita V. Barsana, and Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto, Jr. of the West Philippine Sea Center comprised the Philippine delegation. At the meeting, ASEAN Member States and China held their first official consultation on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Senior Officials agreed on the process and modality of moving forward. They agreed to continue official consultations on the COC on a regular basis, and make regular reports to Foreign Ministers. They tasked a Joint Working Group (JWG) to hold in-depth discussions on all aspects of the COC, including consideration of expert services that would support the work of official consultations. They also agreed that Senior Officials and the JWG shall hold more frequent meetings on the COC. During the meeting, the Philippines expressed its position that the COC should be legally-binding and be developed through a deliberate process of intergovernmental negotiations. The Philippines also called for respect for principles of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, particularly the non-use of force or coercion. The Philippines shared its views on the work of the Joint Working Group on the COC. Undersecretary Garcia pointed out that the international community was looking at ASEAN and China to make progress on the COC. He emphasized that to maintain momentum, official talks between ASEAN and China on the COC should be held regularly; talks should be substantive and robust, taking up all issues; and talks should aim to establish rules and norms of behavior that would contribute to enhancement of peace and stability in the South China Sea and thus, the region. The Meeting also considered a workplan for the Implementation of the DOC for 2014, which included cooperative projects on implementation of the DOC. The Philippines looked forward to actively participating in subsequent official consultations on the COC in the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group and Senior Officials Meeting. END ASEAN AND CHINA LAUNCH OFFICIAL CONSULTATIONS ON CODE OF CONDUCT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA; PHL CALLS FOR DELIBERATE AND RULES-BASED PROCESS IN MOVING FORWARD 16 September 2013 - The Philippines attended the 6th Senior Officials Meeting and 9th Joint Working Group on Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea in Suzhou, China on September 14 and 15. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan P. Garcia, Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Teresita V. Barsana, and Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto, Jr. of the West Philippine Sea Center comprised the Philippine delegation. At the meeting, ASEAN Member States and China held their first official consultation on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Senior Officials agreed on the process and modality of moving forward. They agreed to continue official consultations on the COC on a regular basis, and make regular reports to Foreign Ministers. They tasked a Joint Working Group (JWG) to hold in-depth discussions on all aspects of the COC, including consideration of expert services that would support the work of official consultations. They also agreed that Senior Officials and the JWG shall hold more frequent meetings on the COC. During the meeting, the Philippines expressed its position that the COC should be legally-binding and be developed through a deliberate process of intergovernmental negotiations. The Philippines also called for respect for principles of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, particularly the non-use of force or coercion. The Philippines shared its views on the work of the Joint Working Group on the COC. Undersecretary Garcia pointed out that the international community was looking at ASEAN and China to make progress on the COC. He emphasized that to maintain momentum, official talks between ASEAN and China on the COC should be held regularly; talks should be substantive and robust, taking up all issues; and talks should aim to establish rules and norms of behavior that would contribute to enhancement of peace and stability in the South China Sea and thus, the region. The Meeting also considered a workplan for the Implementation of the DOC for 2014, which included cooperative projects on implementation of the DOC. The Philippines looked forward to actively participating in subsequent official consultations on the COC in the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group and Senior Officials Meeting. END
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 06:04:53 +0000
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