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PH wins seat in UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

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Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Courtesy of Philippine Mission to the UN" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/06/16/un-commission.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Courtesy of Philippine Mission to the UN</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — The Philippines won a seat in a United Nations commission that aims to set limits for national rights on the ocean floor, delegates said Thursday. </p><p>The Philippine Mission to the UN said Manila competed with 8 other candidates for a seat in the Asia-Pacific Group of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) from 2023 to 2028. </p><p>During elections held at the 32nd meeting of the state parties to the UNCLOS in New York on Wednesday, the Philippines secured most votes, or 113 from a total of 164 parties present, the Mission said on Twitter. <br/> <br/>“This is the first time that the Philippines, an archipelagic state, will serve in the Commission,” the Mission said. “PH election promotes the principle of rotation, inclusion, and representation among UNCLOS States.”</p><p><strong>CLCS AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA </strong><br/> <br/>The CLCS aims to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It establishes the outer limits of the continental shelf that extends 200 nautical miles from the baselines &quot;from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured,&quot; according to the UN website. </p><p>Manila and Beijing have long been locked in a dispute over parts of the West Philippine Sea, over which China insists it has exclusive rights to, rejecting a 2016 international tribunal ruling that its historical claims were without basis.</p><p>Last week, Manila lodged another protest against China over recent incidents in Ayungin Shoal, which the foreign affairs department said is within the &quot;Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.&quot; </p><p>Beijing &quot;has no right to fish, monitor, or interfere&quot; with Philippine activities there, said the agency. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/10/22/philippines-protests-china-swarming-around-disputed-reef">Philippines protests China &#x27;swarming&#x27; around disputed reef</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/10/22/marcos-govt-to-protest-china-sea-incursion-carlos ">Marcos gov&#x27;t to keep protesting vs China sea incursion, says security adviser</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/10/22/marcos-china-is-phs-strongest-partner-mom-imelda-its-champion">Marcos Jr. says China is PH&#x27;s &#x27;strongest partner&#x27;; mother Imelda its &#x27;champion&#x27;</a></li></ul><div> </div><div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2082023" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>LOCSIN ON CHINA, AUSTRALIA VOTES </strong></div><p>The Philippine candidate to the CLCS is National Mapping and Resource Information Authority Deputy Administrator Efren Carandang. </p><p>The Mission described Carandang as “one of the country’s most eminently qualified technical expert for the CLCS, with quality management skills.”<br/> </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">4/4 This is the first time that the Philippines, an archipelagic state, will serve in the Commission. PH 🇵🇭 election promotes the principle of rotation, inclusion, and representation among UNCLOS States. <a href="https://twitter.com/DFAPHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DFAPHL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/teddyboylocsin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@teddyboylocsin</a> <a href="https://t.co/IqG795wJKy">pic.twitter.com/IqG795wJKy</a></p>— Philippine Mission to the UN (@PHMissionNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PHMissionNY/status/1537210427855323136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. thanked China for its vote.</p><p>“Thank you China for your vote. We have differences, sure; we tried but failed to bridge them but the endeavor was sincere; we are patriots each of our respective causes; but we have a deep respect and genuine affection for each other,” he wrote on Twitter.</p><p>The foreign affairs chief earlier expressed disappointment over Australia’s decision not to support the Philippine candidate. </p><p>Locsin said he thought Australia and the Philippines were partners in upholding rules-based order in the maritime domain, pointing out his support for the trilateral security pact among Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.</p><p>“I am extremely disappointed Australia cannot support our candidature to the CLCS. Stuck out my neck for AUKUS,” the DFA quoted Locsin as saying. </p><p>“Thought we were partners in upholding rules-based order in the maritime domain. Come through for us,” he added, tagging the Australian ambassador on Twitter Wednesday. <br/> </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/15/22/locsin-disappointed-australia-not-supporting-ph-bet-to-un-body">Locsin &#x27;disappointed&#x27; that Australia not supporting PH candidate to CLCS</a></li></ul><p>The Australian Embassy said that it does not disclose specific details of its voting intentions on each multilateral candidacy. </p><p>But it said that Australia “remains firmly committed to working with the Philippines and other partners, including in the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (the CLCS), to support UNCLOS in establishing maritime zones and upholding the rules based order.”</p><p>Australia &quot;highly values&quot; its maritime cooperation with the Philippines, said the embassy. </p><p>“The Philippines can rely on Australia,” it added. </p><div><strong> RULES-BASED ORDER</strong></div><p>In an interview on ANC Friday, Carandang said the country&#x27;s election to the Commission is &quot;very important&quot; for Filipinos.</p><p>&quot;This representation is a further demonstration of the Philippines&#x27; commitment to an international rule-based regime in maritime governance,&quot; he said.</p><p>Carandang noted the Philippines was one of the original drafters, framers, and signatories of UNCLOS.</p><p>Since the convention&#x27;s ratification, he said the Philippine government had been &quot;very consistent&quot; in the application of the provision of UNCLOS in its maritime affairs.</p><p>Among them is amending the country&#x27;s archipelagic baseline, applying for an extended continental shelf in the Philippine Rise and conducting maritime boundary negotiations in accordance with international law.</p><p>&quot;We have been very active in supporting and advocating for regional, global mechanisms that foster the peaceful and sustainable uses of the world&#x27;s oceans and seas,&quot; Carandang said.</p><div><strong> — With a report from Agence France-Presse </strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1893319" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

This is the first time that the Philippines will serve in the body that aims to set limits for national rights on the ocean floor, delegates said.

PH wins seat in UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

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PH wins seat in UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 16, 2022 12:27 PM PHT

|

Updated June 17, 2022 04:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Philippine Mission to the UN

Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

CLCS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

UNCLOS

United Nations

UN

UN body

Efren Carandang

Teodoro Locsin Jr

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