Rome: The Philippine Embassy in Rome championed adherence to international law and highlighted the value of stability in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the broader South China Sea to global trade. Speaking at an Oct. 24 roundtable at the annual 2025 Festival della Diplomazia in Rome, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial shared Manila's belief that peace and stability in the region are dependent on a rules-based order.
According to Philippines News Agency, policies on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the Philippines are all anchored on international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. Ambassador Imperial emphasized that diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation are vital in addressing the complex challenges facing the maritime domain of the Philippines.
The developments in the West Philippine Sea are a concern for not only the Philippines but also for all nations reliant on the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific for trade, security, and the free movement of goods and people. As Italy formulates its own Indo-Pacific strategy, Imperial expressed hopes that it would be guided by shared principles, respect, and a commitment to a rules-based order. Italy's initiative is seen as a reflection of the growing recognition of the region's strategic importance and the need for active engagement to maintain its freedom, openness, and stability.
The 2025 Festival della Diplomazia is an international event gathering policymakers, diplomats, and academics to foster dialogue on global issues. The roundtable discussion, titled 'Safeguarding Multilateralism: Upholding International Law in the West Philippine Sea,' featured University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS) Director Jay Batongbacal. Batongbacal highlighted the strategic, economic, and ecological importance of the WPS as a vital source of food, resources, energy, and a key maritime trade route.
He elaborated on how harassment and coercive actions by China led the Philippines to pursue peaceful, lawful arbitration under Annex VII of UNCLOS. The 2016 Arbitral Award from the Hague-based tribunal conclusively invalidated China's nine-dash line claim and affirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements in the WPS. Following the lecture, scholars Stefano Pelaggi and Lorenzo Termine of Sapienza University of Rome provided insights into the implications of the WPS issue for regional and global stability.
The Philippine Embassy in Rome stated that Manila's participation in the Festival della Diplomazia underscores its active engagement in multilateral diplomacy and commitment to advancing peace and a rules-based international order.
