MANILA – The Philippine diplomatic delegation on June 12 stressed before the United Nations that China’s expansionist policy claiming almost all of the South China Sea should concern the international community as a whole.

Speaking at the annual meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which counts 167 countries including the Philippines and China, Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre, the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, noted the growing concern on the implementation of UNCLOS because of China’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric and action in the South China Sea.

“This threatens the integrity of the Convention, our constitution for the oceans,” Ambassador Yparraguirre said.

UNCLOS, which was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994, defines the rights and responsibilities of its States Parties with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.

Read more: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/112369/ph-tells-un-south-china-sea-disputes-of-global-concern