Senior Philippine defense officials and representatives from 22 foreign missions gathered Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea, underscoring sustained international support for a rules-based maritime order amid continuing regional tensions.
The conference, organized by the Stratbase Institute led by Prof. Dindo Manhit, brought together Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as keynote speakers to commemorate the 2016 arbitral award that upheld the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under international law.
The event drew one of the year’s largest diplomatic gatherings on maritime security, attended by U.S. Ambassador Lee Lipton, Indian Ambassador Shri Harsh Kumar Jain, Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh, Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliia Fediv, Hungarian Ambassador Michelle Geraedts, Irish Ambassador Emma Hickey, Danish Ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, Finnish Ambassador Saija Nurminen, Czech Ambassador Karel Hejč, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, Swedish Ambassador Anna Ferry, European Union Ambassador Massimo Santoro, New Zealand Ambassador Catherine McIntosh, Norwegian Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster, German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, Austrian Ambassador Johann Brieger, Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown, South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa, Slovenian Ambassador Smiljana Knez, as well as United Kingdom Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Welch and Malaysian Deputy Chief of Mission Norjufri Nizar Edrus.
The broad diplomatic turnout highlighted the continuing international significance of the arbitral ruling a decade after it invalidated China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Beyond commemorating a historic legal victory, the gathering reflected how the ruling has become a cornerstone of the Philippines’ foreign and security policy. As geopolitical competition intensifies in the Indo-Pacific, Manila has deepened defense cooperation with like-minded partners while continuing to advocate for the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law.
The event also underscored the growing alignment among allies and partners in supporting freedom of navigation, respect for international law and stability in one of the world’s busiest and most strategically important waterways.
