FRANKFURT, 17 October 2026 – In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, the Philippine Embassy in Germany organized a lecture series in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt on 12-16 October 2026 featuring Professor Jay L. Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.
Ambassador Maria Teresa Torres Almojuela said that “these conversations have been meaningful, profound and constructive. They helped affirm the clarity of the shared interest of the Philippines and Germany, as advocates of a peaceful, rules-based order, in supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law.” Ambassador Almojuela noted that the supportive position of Germany and the European Union on the Arbitral Award has been clear and consistent. She emphasized that the Arbitral Award has made a definitive ruling on maritime entitlements in the South China Sea and is a step forward in the efforts of parties in the region to find common ground and durable solutions to the dispute which are grounded on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
From left: Dr. Wirth. Prof. Dr. Batongbacal, Amb. Almojuela, Mr. Nils Wörmer, and Ms. Lederer at the KAS discussion on Oct. 12.
Prof. Batongbacal first addressed the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung on Oct. 12 in a discussion along with Dr. Christian Wirth of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and attended by members of the diplomatic corps, think tanks and political foundations. In his presentation, Prof. Batongbacal discussed the critical nature of the South China Sea in the areas of marine biodiversity, food security, digital connectivity, energy resources and international trade. He also highlighted the enduring relevance of the 2016 Arbitral Award, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and practical collaboration with allies and like-minded states to ensure compliance and support for the rules-based maritime regime in the Indo-Pacific.
Top: Amb. Almojuela, Prof. Dr. Batongbacal, and Mr. Kiesewetter; Botton: Dr. Bertele and Ms. Bomassi with Prof. Dr. Dr. Hernandez at the “The South China Sea Ruling at Ten: Law, Power, and Europe’s Indo-Pacific Stakes” at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies on Oct. 13.
On Oct. 13, Prof. Batongbacal delivered the keynote presentation in a conversation organized by the Embassy with the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), along with Member of the Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter, Ms. Lizza Bomassi of the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and Dr. Joachim Bertele of the Federal Foreign Office (FFO). The discussion focused on Germany and the European Union’s engagement as a partner of the Philippines, ASEAN and other states in responding to challenges to peace in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain, consistent with UNCLOS.
On Oct. 16, the lecture series culminated in a panel that the Embassy co-organized with the Peace and Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) with Prof. Dr. Thilo Marauhn of the University of Giessen and Dr. Moritz Brake of the University of Bonn as panelists. Dr. Pascal Abb moderated the panel, while Dr. Stefan Kroll opened the discussion. This discussion focused on the Arbitral Award as a pathway to the peaceful, principled and durable settlement of maritime disputes.
Top: Amb. Almojuela, Prof. Dr. Batongbacal, Prof. Dr. Marauhn, Dr. Brake; Bottom: Dr. Kroll, Prof. Dr. Batongbacal, Prof. Dr. Marauhn, Dr. Abb, and Dr. Brake at “Anchored in Law: The Enduring Role of International Law in Times of Geopolitical Tension – Lessons from the South China Sea” at the Peace and Research Institute Frankfurt on Oct. 16.
“Anchored in Law: The Enduring Role of International Law in Times of Geopolitical Tension – Lessons from the South China Sea” at the Peace and Research Institute Frankfurt on Oct. 16.
While in Germany, Prof. Batongbacal also delivered a lecture at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces Command and Staff College) in Hamburg. –END
