COLAP (Confederation of Lawyers of Asia and the Pacific)’s Bali Declaration of the International Conference on West Pacific Zone of Peace was issued and released during the Conference on West Pacific Zone of Peace held on August 3, 2018 in Universitas Mahasaraswati, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
The Conference had three sessions with a set of speakers for each session. The three sessions’ topics were:
1. US Military presence in the region and its impact on right to peace and regional security
2. South China Sea and East China Sea conflicts
3. Korean reunification and powers’ intervention
It was sponsored by COLAP and Serikat Pekerja Hukum Progresif (SPHP)with co-sponsors Institute for National and Democracy Studies (INDIES) and Universitas Mahasaraswati. Local partners in the conduct of the activity are Bali Legal Aid Institute, Front Mahasiswa Nasional (FMN) , Pemuda Baru (PEMBARU) Indonesia , Serikat Perempuan Indonesia (SERUNI). IADL President Jeanne Mirer participated in the conference along with a number of IADL Bureau members.
BALI DECLARATION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON WEST PACIFIC ZONE OF PEACE
WE, delegates to the International Conference on the “West Pacific Zone of Peace,” organized by the Confederation of Lawyers of Asia and the Pacific (COLAP), coming from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam as well as France, Italy, and the United States,
WISHING to promote and ensure peace, progress and stability in the Asia–Pacific Region;
HEREBY declare, support and call as follows:
A. On the US Military Presence
1. The immediate dismantling of US bases under any form and guise and the withdrawal of all their forces and military materiel in the Region.
2. The prohibition on the firing of U.S. long-range missiles, patrols of American naval vessels in disputed territory, and joint military exercises between the U.S. and other countries.
3. The assertion of national sovereignty and right to self-defense against incursions of all foreign aggressors.
B. On the South China Sea
1. The demilitarization of the South China Sea.
2. The immediate withdrawal of all military forces, facilities and materiel from the area.
3. The peaceful settlement of the dispute over the area, including the development and completion of an equitable Code of Conduct.
4. The respect and adherence to the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the conflicting claims.
5. The recognition of the rights of all countries to freely navigate over the area in accordance with their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
C. On the Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
1. The withdrawal of all foreign military troops and bases in and around the Korean Peninsula.
2. The implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration and the Joint Statement between DPRK and US adopted in the Singapore.
The delegates affirmed their commitment to continue to work and struggle for the achievement of peace in the region and the whole world.
3rd day of August 2018, Universitas Mahasaraswati (UNMAS), Bali, Indonesia.