SECRETARY of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro co-chaired a foreign ministerial meeting on ‘Reinforcing Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain’ during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s 80th Session.
On September 24, 40 countries actively participated in the meeting, which was co-hosted by the Philippines with Australia, Estonia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Acknowledging the current challenges in ensuring a secure and stable maritime domain, there was renewed commitment to multilateralism and the shared stewardship of the world’s oceans.
In particular, emphasis was placed on international law, cooperation across shared maritime issues such as the protection of the marine environment, ensuring freedom of navigation and commerce, facilitating global connectivity, and securing critical underwater infrastructure.
‘As a growing coalition across regions, we reaffirmed international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [or UNCLOS as the constitution for the oceans,] and the legal framework in addressing global challenges to security and stability at sea.’ Lazaro said at the meeting.