Philippine Foreign Secretary Lazaro tells UN General Assembly that disputes must be settled through diplomacy and law
26 September 2026
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September 2026. She said more than 50 active conflicts are under way in the world and that disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and law, not violence and might. She repeated the Philippine call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, and backed a two-state solution. She described UNCLOS as the constitution of the oceans and noted that 2026 marks a decade since the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which she called final and legally binding. She also called for reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, transparent and accountable.
In plain words
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — The 1982 treaty that sets the rules for territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and the use of the oceans.
2016 Arbitral Award South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China) — The 2016 ruling of a tribunal under UNCLOS that rejected China's nine-dash-line claims against the Philippines.
General debate UN General Assembly general debate — The annual high-level segment each September where every member state addresses the Assembly.