PRESS RELEASE

NYPM 11-2012

02 OCTOBER 2012

PHILIPPINES UNDERSCORES PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES AND RULE OF LAW IN ASEAN MEETING WITH UN LEADERS

Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario (second from the left), prepare to meet with United Nations General Assembly Vuk Jeremic and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the sidelines of the 67 th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NY 29 September 2012 The Meeting between Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) and the President of the United Nations to the General Assembly and the Secretary-General to the United Nations brought to the fore key global and regional concerns on the peaceful settlement of disputes and the importance of regional organizations and multilateral diplomacy already emphasized by the Philippines.

At the meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed the hope that maritime and territorial disputes in the region “would be resolved peacefully.”

For his part, Vuk Jeremic, the President of the General Assembly, reiterated the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes which is the over-arching theme of his presidency.

Prior to the meeting, Secretary del Rosario already met with President Jeremic and discussed extensively the Philippines advocacy of peaceful settlement of disputes, particularly in light of present realities in the Southeast Asian region and the commemoration of the 30 th anniversary of the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

During the meeting, Secretary del Rosario emphasized that the rule of law is an integral component for the peaceful settlement of disputes. He also stressed the vital role of the United Nations and regional organizations, such as ASEAN, in making sure that nations adhere to their international commitments to settle disputes through peaceful means.

“The world needs a United Nations that is further empowered to carry out its role of promoting the rule of law in the conduct of relations among States. Especially when disputes occur between States with asymmetric military, political or financial capabilities, the rule of law serves as the great equalizer that fosters and preserves a just, fair and credible global order,” said Secretary del Rosario.

“In particular, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, has become a bedrock of engagement for ASEAN, in view of the overlapping maritime claims in the region,” Secretary del Rosario added.

“The world needs a United Nations that is responsive, empowered and relevant. The world needs a United Nations that is credible because it is rules-based, indispensable because it is about global governance, inspiring because it is people-centered and rights-driven,” added Secretary del Rosario and emphasized that, “The world, perhaps now more than ever, needs the United Nations.”END

Reference:

Robert E.A. Borje
Second Secretary
Security Council, Fourth Committee, Press and Media Affairs

Philippine Mission to the United Nations
556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Telephone No. 212.764.1300 ext. 21