September 3 ------ A center specialized in resolving maritime disputes and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) have entered into a cooperation agreement to promote resolution of international disputes through arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region.
Under the agreement between the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC) and the PCA signed on Aug. 28, both sides will collaborate in organizing PCA meetings and hearings at the PDRC’s facilities in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. They will also facilitate PDRC meetings and hearings at the PCA’s premises in the Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands as well as cooperate by exchanging information and holding conferences, seminars and specialized events.
The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the PDRC during the visit of PCA Secretary-General Dr. Marcin Czepelak to Manila. The PDRC was represented by its President Rogelio Nicandro while the PCA was represented by Czepelak. Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya, concurrently the acting President of the PCA Administrative Council for term 2023-2024, and lawyer Victor Lazatin, chair of the PDRC, witnessed the signing ceremony.
At a forum prior to the signing ceremony, PDRC President Nicandro welcomed the signed agreement. Nicandro said that "having the Philippines as a venue for hearings in PCA-administered proceedings will result in cost and time savings for local businesses and also raise the capacity and experience of local arbitration institutions and practitioners." Malaya said that cooperation between the PDRC and PCA enhances the country’s profile as an advocate of a rules-based order. "The signing of the PDRC-PCA Cooperation Agreement raises the international reputation of the Philippines as a preferred arbitral forum and promotes the use of arbitral institutions located in the country," he said.
The PCA is the oldest, existing international organization devoted to the peaceful settlement of disputes, having been established in 1899 by the Convention on the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes. In the last 125 years, the PCA has developed into a modern, multi-faceted arbitral institution well situated to meet the evolving dispute resolution needs of the international community. It also has one of the heaviest caseloads of all international courts and tribunals, supporting in 2023 alone a record 218 registry cases, including investor-state disputes and contract-based disputes involving a state entity. The PCA is composed of 124 member states, with the Philippines joining it in 2010.
Meanwhile, PDRCI is a non-stock, non-profit organization incorporated in 1996 out of the Arbitration Committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). It promotes and encourages the use of arbitration, mediation and other modes of avoiding or settling commercial disputes such as dispute boards and provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services to the business community.
Source: mb.com.ph
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