An international seminar was held in Phnom Penh , Cambodia , onMarch 22 to mark the 10 th anniversary of the signing of theDeclaration on Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
The seminar, themed “ASEAN and the 10 th anniversary of the signingof the DOC”, was co-organised by the Centre for Asian Strategic Studies(CASS) of India and the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation andPeace (CICP).
Co-chaired by CICP Director CheangVanaridh and CASS Director A.B Mahapatra, the event also drew theparticipation of more than 300 scholars, researchers and diplomats fromVietnam , Singapore , Indonesia , Laos , the Philippines ,Malaysia , Japan , Russia , China and Cambodia .
The speakers at the seminar focused on reviewing 10 years of thesigning and implementation of the DOC between ASEAN and China aswell as putting forward measures to solve disputes.
Over the past 10 years, the declaration has played a role inmaintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the SoutheastAsian region, they affirmed.
However, ASEAN andChina should soon come to the building of a Code of Conduct (COC) inthe East Sea to ensure long-term peace and stability in theregion, they added.
According to speechesdelivered at the seminar, the DOC is an important document thatrepresents concerned parties’ determination to boost peace, stabilityand mutual trust towards the peaceful settlement of disputes in theEast Sea , helping consolidate the ASEAN-China strategic partnershipfor peace and prosperity.
CASS Director A.B.Mahapatra said the seminar may bring new ideas and evaluate differentoptions to deal with the current era’s most complicated maritimedisputes, adding that the settlement of the East Sea disputes willbe a big challenge for ASEAN’s effective foreign policy in turning theDOC into a full COC.
Dr. Cheam Yeap, a speakerfrom the host country, said that concerns over security and economicinterests will continue affecting each country’s policies. However,principles and regulations of international law must serve asfoundations for these policies.
Closelycooperating in implementing the DOC on the basis of mutual trust andabiding by the principles of UN and ASEAN Charters is the best way forASEAN and China to deal with these issues, he stressed.
However, he said the DOC is yet to fully meet all aspirations ofconcerned parties as well as countries sharing strategic interests inthe East Sea and reveals many shortcomings in preventing tensionsand conflicts in the East Sea .
According toCICP Director Cheang Vanaridh, the East Sea issue is one of themost complex regional issues that requires an approach based on trustand law.
Countries should hold more dialogues and discussions to strengthen understanding about this issue, he said.
Dr. Vo Xuan Vinh from Vietnam ’s Southeast Asia Research Centre, waspraised by other participants as he introduced the basic principles of aCode of Conduct, which, he said, ASEAN and China should sign assoon as possible.
He stressed that parties thatget involved in the Code of Conduct need to affirm their commitments tothe goals and principles of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seaand the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the spirit of theprinciples on the implementation of the DOC signed between ASEAN andChina in Indonesia in November, 2011.
The seminarconcluded that to address current threats of instabilities in the EastSea in a sound and long-term manner, concerned parties should promptlybuild a law-binding Code of Conduct that can fix the shortcomings of theDOC, on the basis of international law.-VNA
The seminar, themed “ASEAN and the 10 th anniversary of the signingof the DOC”, was co-organised by the Centre for Asian Strategic Studies(CASS) of India and the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation andPeace (CICP).
Co-chaired by CICP Director CheangVanaridh and CASS Director A.B Mahapatra, the event also drew theparticipation of more than 300 scholars, researchers and diplomats fromVietnam , Singapore , Indonesia , Laos , the Philippines ,Malaysia , Japan , Russia , China and Cambodia .
The speakers at the seminar focused on reviewing 10 years of thesigning and implementation of the DOC between ASEAN and China aswell as putting forward measures to solve disputes.
Over the past 10 years, the declaration has played a role inmaintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the SoutheastAsian region, they affirmed.
However, ASEAN andChina should soon come to the building of a Code of Conduct (COC) inthe East Sea to ensure long-term peace and stability in theregion, they added.
According to speechesdelivered at the seminar, the DOC is an important document thatrepresents concerned parties’ determination to boost peace, stabilityand mutual trust towards the peaceful settlement of disputes in theEast Sea , helping consolidate the ASEAN-China strategic partnershipfor peace and prosperity.
CASS Director A.B.Mahapatra said the seminar may bring new ideas and evaluate differentoptions to deal with the current era’s most complicated maritimedisputes, adding that the settlement of the East Sea disputes willbe a big challenge for ASEAN’s effective foreign policy in turning theDOC into a full COC.
Dr. Cheam Yeap, a speakerfrom the host country, said that concerns over security and economicinterests will continue affecting each country’s policies. However,principles and regulations of international law must serve asfoundations for these policies.
Closelycooperating in implementing the DOC on the basis of mutual trust andabiding by the principles of UN and ASEAN Charters is the best way forASEAN and China to deal with these issues, he stressed.
However, he said the DOC is yet to fully meet all aspirations ofconcerned parties as well as countries sharing strategic interests inthe East Sea and reveals many shortcomings in preventing tensionsand conflicts in the East Sea .
According toCICP Director Cheang Vanaridh, the East Sea issue is one of themost complex regional issues that requires an approach based on trustand law.
Countries should hold more dialogues and discussions to strengthen understanding about this issue, he said.
Dr. Vo Xuan Vinh from Vietnam ’s Southeast Asia Research Centre, waspraised by other participants as he introduced the basic principles of aCode of Conduct, which, he said, ASEAN and China should sign assoon as possible.
He stressed that parties thatget involved in the Code of Conduct need to affirm their commitments tothe goals and principles of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seaand the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the spirit of theprinciples on the implementation of the DOC signed between ASEAN andChina in Indonesia in November, 2011.
The seminarconcluded that to address current threats of instabilities in the EastSea in a sound and long-term manner, concerned parties should promptlybuild a law-binding Code of Conduct that can fix the shortcomings of theDOC, on the basis of international law.-VNA
