By Joyce Ann Rocamora
MANILA – Negotiators are now entering the final phase of talks for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro on Sunday, confirming that 80 percent of the draft has reached “provisional agreement” among parties.
The Filipino top diplomat, in a press conference after the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits, said negotiations would carry through 2027 under Singapore’s chairship of the ASEAN.
“The parties agreed to continue to work constructively with a view to concluding the negotiations in an effective and substantive code of conduct at the earliest possible time,” she said.
“And actually, this means that we leave this almost 80 percent finished document to Singapore as the next chair,” she added.
Lazaro disclosed that establishing the connection between COC and the 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC), one of the four milestone issues, has also now been resolved.
She said China and ASEAN agreed that the “DOC provides the foundation for the COC,” and that the COC is “consistent with and builds upon” the principles of the DOC.
The parties, she added, also intend to use the COC as a “platform for practical maritime cooperation in the South China Sea” and conduct cooperative activities “on a voluntary basis” in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“As we draw negotiations closer to conclusion, the parties have affirmed their commitment to promoting mutual trust, confidence, and cooperation,” Lazaro said. “We remain committed to ensuring maritime safety, maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, and preventing from managing incidents at sea.”
The parties, she added, emphasized the need for a “conducive regional environment” to sustain the positive momentum generated in 2026.
Lazaro later declined to provide details when asked about the remaining issues in the draft. (PNA)
