Del Rosario, Ban agree on mediation

4:11 am | Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario shakes hands with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon before their meeting on Friday at UN headquarters in New York. AFP

MANILA, Philippines—Secretary Albert del Rosario and United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have emphasized the importance of peacefully resolving disputes between countries.

Del Rosario and Ban, who met at UN headquarters in New York on Friday, also discussed Philippine initiatives, particularly the country’s promotion of mediation as a means of conflict resolution.

“We believe in highlighting the importance of instruments for the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Del Rosario told Ban.

He said these initiatives were particularly important to the Philippines given its current standoff with China over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

He said the Philippines had led efforts in the UN to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes through a General Assembly resolution calling on states to “promote and observe in good faith” the historic declaration.

Ban congratulated the Philippines “for actively promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes through its commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the historic Manila Declaration.”

The secretary general also welcomed the new Philippine-initiated resolution on the Manila Declaration.

Del Rosario said the resolution was approved by consensus at a recent session of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations. It is up for adoption at the Sixth Committee and the General Assembly.

Del Rosario and Ban also discussed the convening of high level meetings on mediation this month and on the rule of law in September.

The UN chief lauded the Philippines for its role in promoting mediation and for its contribution to the report on mediation that he was preparing for release in July.

“I hope that our work on promoting mediation will build on the groundwork already laid by the Manila Declaration,” Ban said, adding that “preventing conflict is one of my five priority agendas in the UN.”

He agreed on the importance of mediation as one of the viable means of peacefully settling disputes.

“These are crucial in today’s world … these efforts should translate into greater respect for the peaceful settlement of disputes and the rule of law,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario reiterated that the Philippine government remained committed to a peaceful solution of its territorial dispute with China over Panatag Shoal based on the UN Charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law.

“We believe that the unfolding events are of great interest to all nations, as they have a stake in the peace and stability of this economically and politically strategic area,” he said.

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Tags: Albert Del Rosario , Ban Ki-moon , China , Conflict , Foreign affairs , Panatag Shoal , Philippines , Scarborough , Scarborough Shoal , United Nations

AFPako

Del Rosario, tama yung pagkamukoy mo ! Typical mukoy mo walang kwenta. nagpapaawa sa mga ibat ibang bansa. What we need is high salaries for our armed forces to fight the Red Chinese. We need better arms and ammo to fight it out. Kinakurakot ninyo noon pa yan , shzt kayong lahat.

http://profile.yahoo.com/IS6KI2U7EDZS6D2Q7MZ3Z6CAME Lila

high salaries? okay, if you have high salaries can you combat the Chinese? with what? what we need right now is diplomatic solution.. no WAR is beneficial to us.. we will always loose.. unless you have something to fight against them? if not why risk? let’s just do it diplomatically and find resolution to the problem without stepping each others feet with China..

focusrightly

The solution is right before PHL but Aquino just turned the other way. The Chinese has been asking to conduct joint ventures and set aside the issue of sovereignty for the time being.

Sometimes, they are more intrigue to this farce than we see on the surface. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had a good working relationship with the Chinese and had conducted joint seismic studies in the SCS in 2004. Since then, a new ruling party under Aquino III has taken over and I suspect the new Petroleum ministry chiefs are trying to sabotage and break deals previously done under GMA’s watch so as to get to the “gold”. They can only grab the “spoils” of election victory by appointing new contractors/drillers aligned to them.

Just a hypothetical theory anyway.
mapanuri

Not really. If you would look at the 1987 constitution, GMA can be sued with treason for undertaking deals (JMSU) with the Chinese thus making Chinese presence near our territory and gives them an opportunity to occupy and not just explore reserves present in PHL territory as well as those defined in the EEZ of the Philippines. With the recent developments in Panatag Shoal, it is VERY HARD TO TRUST THE CHINESE this time, for can we say, ever.

Fz20

with savagechina sitting at the un security council and being debtor of most powerful countries, all these diplomacy talk may be useless – meanwhile savagechina is building up their aircraft carrier(+another one)w/ about 100 J-10/J-20′s fighter/attack/bomber aircraft and its accompanying fleet of destroyers, lpd’s w/amphibious tanks, subs, etc…just imagine this scenario west of our shores…we must get those proposed NCAS defense articles now!
Chekwa

China is behaving like a Big Brat Bully who likes to whine a lot about US military presence in West Phil. Sea. It’s has become obvious that China is planning something sinister in SC sea because if it doesn’t, why complain? China, It’s none of your business. When China/ Russia had naval exercises in the yellow sea, Filipinos/Americans cared less as long as they stay in the yellow sea. China is clueless, Southeast asians would rather see US navy ships in the SC sea to keep the stability and balance of power in the region, NOT Chinese navy ships out to bring war and instability in the region.

avmphil

I agree. You could berth your CG next to a US craft and sleep well, but not that of Chinese “fishermen”. The next you know you will be swimming from the SHARKS.I am taken aback to find many Beijing sympathizers who had found comfortable abodes here, but decry that we good in exporting maids (and much other derogative portrayal of the Filipinos). Yes maids, but the decency is to earn an honest living wherever they are. Some of the post in this forum’s current topic Dispute with China over the Islands, is taken away delving more into personality and some, disparaging against Filipinos, especially maids. For those I say, are just NERDS

Chekwa

That’s because these chinese can’t defend their so called “ownership” of SC sea point blank so they go out of the topic, maybe they feel good about it but really, for Filipinos they sound stupid!! lol Even the maids who understand English have more knowledge of UNCLOS if they read it in the newspaper, unlike stupid chinese who still needs a translator.

Del Rosario, Ban agree on mediation

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