July 16, 2026 - On the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitral tribunal ruling invalidating China’s claim of the nine-dash line over South China Sea (now West Philippine Sea), Canada joined 13 other nations in reaffirming their “unwavering commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, stable, and rules-based, anchored in international law.”
In 2013 and led by then President Benigno Aquino III, the Philippines brought arbitration proceedings against China regarding maritime entitlements and legality of actions before the UNCLOS and a tribunal was constituted and registered under the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Philippines asserted its sovereign rights over the area as its exclusive economic zone. Three years later on July 12, 2016, the arbitral tribunal delivered its landmark decision in favour of the Philippines and concluded that China’s claims to historic rights based on its arbitrary “nine-dash line” were incompatible with UNCLOS.
In recognition of the 10 year anniversary of the landmark ruling, Canada joined Australia, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the US in issuing a joint statement reaffirming that “maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS.” The 14 countries recognized that the ruling is “a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal.”
China did not participate in the proceedings, arguing that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction. It continues to defy the ruling and clashes between the two countries continue to happen within the West Philippine Sea.
In strong opposition to China’s claims, the joint statement reiterated that “there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on ‘historic rights.’” The signatories also expressed their “strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions, including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region” and urged both countries to “abide by the 2016 Award and resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and other lawful mechanisms in accordance with international law.”
In recognition of the landmark ruling’s anniversary, Filipino lawmaker Chel Diokno recently filed House Bill (HB) No. 1626 seeking to officially declare July 12 as “National West Philippine Sea Victory Day.” Alongside HB 1626, he also introduced House Bill No. 1625 that seeks to mandate the teaching of West Philippine Sea history and geography at all levels of the country’s education system, educating the youth on the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
About the Author
Rachel Ramos-Reid started writing for magazines and newspapers when she was still a junior at the University of the Philippines’ Communication degree program majoring in Journalism. She continued to write in a public relations/corporate communications capacity in various private and government offices until moving out of the country in 1997 to work as Programme Officer for the arts and culture branch of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. At the end of her term, Rachel found herself immigrating to Canada in the year 2000 and again searching for new beginnings.
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