PH, UK want to expand ties on maritime domain awareness

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

OOPERATION. Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez and United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Southeast Asia department head Matthew Findlay (10th and 11th from left) join other members of the Philippine and UK delegations at the conclusion of the 2nd Philippine-UK Maritime Dialogue in London on July 5, 2024. The DFA on Friday (July 26) said the Philippines and the UK are seeking to strengthen cooperation on maritime domain awareness. (Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs)

MANILA – The Philippines and the United Kingdom (UK) are seeking to strengthen cooperation on maritime domain awareness (MDA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shared on Friday.

During the 2nd Philippine-UK Maritime Dialogue in London on July 5, senior officials from the DFA and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) discussed ways to further deepen collaboration on maritime and ocean-related issues.

Key discussions during the dialogue included enhancing cooperation on MDA, safety of international merchant shipping vessels and seafarers, cybersecurity challenges in the maritime sector, strategic communications, crisis management, the law of the sea, marine environment, and ocean governance, the DFA said in its belated news release.

DFA Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez led the Philippine delegation, which included officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, Philippine Space Agency and the Philippine Embassy in London.

The UK delegation was headed by the FCDO, including Head of Defence and Security Partnerships Department Jason Rheinberg, Legal Director Andy Murdoch, Head of South East Asia Department Matthew Findlay and British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils.

The two sides reaffirmed their adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and underscored the importance of upholding the rules-based international order in the South China Sea and the greater Indo-Pacific region.

The UK then conveyed its support for the Philippines’ diplomatic approach to managing tensions in the South China Sea and called for adherence to the legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award under UNCLOS.

The dialogue also explored legal cooperation and exchanged views on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s recent Advisory Opinion on climate change and international law (Case No. 31), deep seabed mining and other pressing maritime and ocean related issues.

“Both sides commended the depth and comprehensiveness of the discussions, reflecting a strong and growing partnership between the two countries. Both sides expressed commitment to implement the dialogue’s outcomes and agreed action points,” the DFA said.

Apart from the dialogue, the Philippine delegation visited the Joint Maritime Security Centre and the Maritime Trade Operation Information Centre in Portsmouth, both of which form pillars of the UK’s inter-agency architecture on maritime security at home and abroad.

Alferez also had a separate meeting with UK FCDO Director General for Indo-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa Owen Jenkins to discuss strategic issues related to the two countries’ maritime security cooperation and South China Sea matters.

The Philippine-UK Maritime Dialogue is a regular bilateral mechanism for the exchange of views on maritime and ocean related matters of mutual concern.

It is meant as the platform for elaborating existing engagements and identifying areas for expanding maritime cooperation.

The inaugural dialogue was held in Manila in February 2023.