Fordham forum to discuss relevance of Manila Declaration

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Manila Declaration and examine its relevance in bringing about the peaceful settlement of international disputes, the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations, in cooperation with the American Branch of International Law Association, is organizing a panel discussion to review the document.

The forum will take place on October 26th from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Room 430 B/C of the Fordham University Law School located at 140 West 62nd Street.

Invited to speak are the following: Lamiaa Mekheimar, Ambassador and Legal Advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Arturo Dager Gomez, Ambassador and Legal Adviser of the Mexico Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Irene Susan Natividad, Ambassador and Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs; and Simona Mirela Miculescu, Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations.

The Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 15, 1982, is the first important instrument of the work of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization. The Declaration consolidates the legal framework and develops a comprehensive plan for the peaceful settlement of international disputes. “It builds upon and promotes general international law,” says a press statement from the Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN.

Negotiated within the context of the difficult relations between the East and the West during the Cold War era, the Declaration was pursued through the initiative of Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Romania, Sierra Leone and Tunisia.

The forum will address whether the Declaration remains meaningful and relevant amid new challenges to international peace and security.