Cebu - Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday, 8 May 2026 in Cebu, Philippines issued a declaration on maritime cooperation, including the plan to establish ASEAN Maritime Center.
ASEAN has 11 member states - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. ASEAN Summit was heldon 7 and 8 of May.
The declaration is issued in the midst of global crisis, related with maritime issue in West Asia region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz as one o the world's bussiest maritime passage lines, while ASEAN region has Malacca Strait, the Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea and South China Sea as well as the Pacific Ocean, using also as international maritime channels.
The document is titled "ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Maritime Cooperation" reaffirmed the regional group's commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region.
"...as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," the leaders stated in the declaration.
They also reaffirmed their support for the Philippines' charship of ASEAN this year under the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together" as well as recognizing the importance of maritime cooperation.
The member states of ASEAN in the declaration will continue maintain and strengthening maritime cooperation internally and with partners through various forums and mechanisms, such as ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF), and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Maritime cooperation with ASEAN partners will always put ASEAN Centrality as the backbone.
The strengthen maritime cooperation among ASEAN member states, the group plans to establish the ASEAN Maritime Center (AMC) in the Philippines. The center is aimed to "support the work of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms on maritime-related issues and will promote cross-sectoral and cross-pillar collaboration among ASEAN member states, while avoiding duplication of efforts," as stated in the declaration.
