VietNamNet Bridge - ASEAN Foreign Ministers have agreed to set up a working group to discuss the drafting of a Code of Conduct (COC) of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

The East Sea disputes
The agreement was reached at the informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the sidelines of the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2011.

This move came after ASEAN and China approved the guideline for implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in July 2011.

In the late 1990s, China and ASEAN set about negotiating a code of conduct to ameliorate conflict over territory and rights in the East Sea. The result was the 2002 DOC.

The DOC was signed to provide the foundation for long-term stability in the area and foster understanding among countries concerned. However, recent developments in the East Sea arguably affirmed the limits of the DOC in preventing the occurrence of tensions, incidents, and skirmishes in the region.

The more binding COC is expected to replace the DOC.

PV