South China Seas Dispute - April 24, 2013 . -- "The Philippines recently instituted arbitration proceedings against China challenging the validity of China's claim to almost the entire resource-rich South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines will argue that China's "nine-dash" claim to much of the South China Sea, as well as its occupation of several maritime features in the region, is unlawful under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza , who serves as the Philippines' Agent in the arbitration, discusses with Professor Jerome Cohen the Philippines' use of international law to resolve its dispute with China. After providing a brief description of the South China Sea problem, Solicitor General Jardeleza explains the Philippines' decision to resort to the UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanism, China's response, and his assessment of China's claims on the basis of international law."