Asean leaders adopt pivotal maritime cooperation agreement at 48th summit

LAPU-LAPU CITY — Southeast Asian leaders adopted a landmark declaration on maritime cooperation as the regional bloc’s 48th summit came to a close Saturday. The Asean Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation reaffirmed that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) remains “the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas must be carried out,” while emphasizing the peaceful resolution of disputes without the threat or use of force and in accordance with international law. In a copy sent to The Manila Times on Saturday, the declaration emphasized the “universal and unified character”…