By Sohini Bhattacharya

New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): The Philippines' Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio on Tuesday expressed hope for disputes in the South China Sea to be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law over the next decade, saying the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) award had already settled key questions on maritime entitlements, leaving 'only' issues of sovereignty to be addressed.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion on the theme 'Lines Drawn in the Water', organised by the Ananta Centre, Josel F. Ignacio said that the arbitral ruling had laid the legal foundation for resolving several aspects of the dispute under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

'Well, of course, the frank answer to that question is what we want to see in the South China Sea is the peaceful resolution of the disputes in accordance with international law. And we already have the basis for that. I mean, part of the basis for that anyway, at least with respect to maritime entitlements, EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone], continental shelf, etc. Who can, you know, fish where, etc. What are exclusive rights, who enjoys exclusive rights, etc. So the arbitral ruling of 2016 already clarified many of those points,' he said.

Explaining how the award had narrowed the scope of the dispute, Ignaciao said the tribunal had clarified the legal status of maritime features and significantly reduced the areas that remain contested.

He said, ' In fact, the arbitral ruling from 10 years ago already sort of shrank the area that's really that's supposed to be in question, you know, to just, you know, a few areas of so-called, technically UNCLOS, now, rocks, which are above water even during high tide, that are entitled to 12 nautical miles. Under that ruling, under the arbitral ruling, there are no islands there, so no entitlement, no features there; no feature generates an EEZ of 200 nautical miles. So we're just, we now only have to resolve sovereignty questions.'

The Ambassador said the Philippines hoped both parties (the Philippines and China) to the arbitration would comply with the award and that all countries would exercise restraint and adhere to international law.

'So my, our aspiration, our hope is that, you know, the parties to the arbitral award should abide by the ruling. I mean that's between the parties, the Philippines and China. From a larger perspective, we want countries to behave responsibly, to avoid actions that aggravate the disputes, to avoid dangerous actions. And you know, just for everyone to strictly abide by international law and peaceful dispute settlement even as they sort of seek to, you know, to sort of seek a resolution on matters that touch on sovereignty,' he said.

During the roundtable discussion, Ambassador Ignacio gave a presentation on the background of '10 Years of the PCA Ruling on the South China Sea', which is basically the tenth anniversary of the tribunal's unanimous award delivered on July 12, 2016. He noted that leading up to the anniversary, China ramped up its criticism of the Philippines for initiating the 2016 legal case.

The discussions focused on the legal and technical aspects of the South China Sea under UNCLOS, particularly the distinctions between High-Tide Elevations (HTEs), commonly referred to as islands or rocks, and Low-Tide Elevations (LTEs), and the maritime entitlements associated with them. The Ambassador also discussed the overlapping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea, particularly involving the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.

He further highlighted India's consistent support for UNCLOS and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and emphasised the role of the Quad and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in promoting a rules-based maritime order and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. The event was moderated by Indrani Bagchi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ananta Centre. (ANI)