LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Reaffirming “the importance of the full and effective implementation” of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted a sweeping declaration on maritime cooperation that strongly supports the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal foundation for regional order.
During the 48th ASEAN Summit under the Philippines’ chairmanship in Cebu, member nations stressed the importance of expanding cooperation on maritime security, energy supply chains, critical underwater infrastructure and environmental protection in the South China Sea.
Here, the ASEAN leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation was adopted in the wake of rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific that is inadvertently intensifying competition among major players even as growing concerns spread over disruptions in global trade and energy routes.
The maritime declaration aligns closely with the Philippines’ chairmanship theme of ‘Navigating Our Future, Together’, which Manila has framed around regional resilience, connectivity and rules-based cooperation amid a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Aside from the Philippines, the declaration was adopted by ASEAN member states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
In the declaration, attendees “reaffirmed (their) shared commitment to maintain and promote peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region” while stressing the “peaceful resolution of disputes” in accordance with international law, “including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
It likewise underscored the “universal and unified character” of UNCLOS, describing it as “the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.”
Accordingly, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., who chaired the proceedings, cited that the ASEAN declaration Is significant as maritime disputes in the South China Sea continue to test regional stability, particularly amid confrontations involving coast guards and maritime forces in contested waters.
Last month, a total of 62 Chinese naval and coast guard ships were spotted in four key features of the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The vessels were monitored in Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, Escoda Shoal and Pag-asa Islands.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad disclosed that these incursions highlight the continued ICAD (illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive) activities that undermine the rules-based international order and constitute a blatant attempt to erode the Philippines’ territorial integrity, sovereignty and sovereign rights.