Hugo Hans Siblesz, Secretary-General Permanent Court of Arbitration:
Arbitration is always based on consent

Hugo Hans Siblesz did not deny that the result of the South China Sea arbitration, facilitated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), has turned the Philippines and China's relationship sour. On July 12, the tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and denied China's claim on the area, based on the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Although China has rejected the result, Siblesz said, "It is legally binding." But the PCA does not only solve disputes through the tribunal. Siblez, who has headed the PCA since 2012, explained that parties can resolve their issues through reconciliation, mediation or fact-finding. "The Permanent Court of Arbitration is a platform," he said. Siblesz spoke to Tempo journalists Natalia Santi, Mahardika Satria Hadi, Sukma Loppies and Amanda Siddharta during his visit to Jakarta two weeks ago. Excerpts:

What is the purpose of your visit to Jakarta?

I'm here to [have an] exchange with the Indonesian authorities on the benefits of Indonesia becoming a member state of the organization. Indonesia is one of the few (countries) in Southeast Asia [that is not a member]. All other Asian countries are member states, except for Myanmar and Brunei. Some of them, like China, are even founders of the institution, created in 1899.

December 27, 2016