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For this Manila Calling, the discussion revisits the Philippines’ landmark legal victory on 12 July 2016, when the Arbitral Tribunal constituted in The Hague in accordance with Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) issued a binding and final award that found Beijing’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim to have no legal basis under international law. The Award affirmed that key maritime areas, including Recto Bank and Ayungin Shoal, form part of the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and found that China had violated Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction through actions such as obstructing fishing and hydrocarbon exploration, as well as undertaking large-scale artificial island construction and environmental damage in the South China Sea. Since then, the Award continues to gain broad international recognition as an important reference point for efforts to uphold international law at sea. Yet China continues to disregard the ruling and pursue coercive activities in the West Philippine Sea. Against this backdrop, the discussion will examine the Award’s enduring lessons, evolving relevance, and the continuing challenges of enforcing international law in one of the world’s most consequential maritime regions.
A forum organized by KAS Philippines in partnership with the WPS Foundation as part of the Manila Calling discussion series.
