Philippine Embassy marks 10 years of South China Sea arbitral award with Wellington and Auckland lectures

The Philippine Embassy in Wellington marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award with round-table discussions and public lectures in Wellington on 12 October and Auckland on 14 October, featuring former Solicitor General Florin T. Hilbay.

The Philippine Embassy in Wellington commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award with a series of academic and public engagements in Wellington and Auckland, the embassy said in a press release.

The activities were held in Wellington on 12 October and in Auckland on 14 October 2026 under the theme “A Decade Hence: The Enduring Promise of Peaceful Dispute Settlement”. In both cities, the embassy convened round-table discussions, or kapihan, and public lectures that brought together experts, policymakers, academics, students, members of the diplomatic community and representatives of the international affairs sector.

The resource speaker was Atty. Florin T. Hilbay, former Solicitor General of the Philippines and the Philippines’ Principal Agent in the arbitration proceedings against China. Drawing on his firsthand experience in the case, he discussed the legal foundations of the Philippines’ position and examined the Award’s continuing diplomatic, geopolitical and regional implications.

The embassy said the public lectures each drew over 70 attendees. The kapihan sessions brought together selected experts in international law, the law of the sea, environmental law, climate change and public policy, and explored the Award’s relevance to maritime entitlements, protection of the marine environment, the security of coastal communities and the wider rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

Partners in Wellington and Auckland

The Wellington public lecture was organised in partnership with the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs (NZIIA), the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the Centre for Public Law, Victoria University of Wellington and the Philippine Studies Network (PSN). In Auckland, the embassy worked with the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) School of Law, the PSN, the AUT–Philippine Studies Hub and the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Auckland.

Ambassador Kira Azucena reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, and said the Award should be understood not only as a legal milestone but as part of a broader effort to protect communities, preserve the marine environment and promote peace and cooperation at sea. The embassy said her remarks echoed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who said at the national commemoration that the Philippines had chosen “dialogue over confrontation, law over intimidation, and peace over conflict.”

The Award was issued on 12 July 2016 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The New Zealand events also marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and New Zealand and the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership, which NZIIA also highlighted in its event listing.

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