ASEAN leaders have adopted a sweeping declaration on maritime cooperation that strongly reaffirms the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal foundation for regional order, while expanding cooperation on maritime security, energy supply chains, critical underwater infrastructure, environmental protection, and the South China Sea.
The “ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation,” adopted during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu on May 8 under the Philippines’ chairmanship, comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, intensifying competition among major powers, and growing concerns over disruptions to global trade and energy routes.
In the declaration, ASEAN leaders “reaffirmed [their] shared commitment to maintaining and promoting 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).”
The declaration also 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.”
The statement 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.
ASEAN leaders also highlighted growing concerns over the vulnerability of global shipping and energy routes, linking maritime stability directly to food and energy security.
The declaration recognized “the importance of maintaining stable and reliable global energy supply chains and maritime trade routes, as well as minimizing disruptions to the flow of energy and essential goods, including food.”
The issue has become increasingly urgent as conflicts in key maritime chokepoints and disruptions in global shipping lanes continue to affect fuel prices, logistics costs, and inflation across Southeast Asia.
Beyond traditional security concerns, ASEAN widened the scope of maritime cooperation to include critical underwater infrastructure such as submarine cables and pipelines, reflecting growing anxieties over cyber threats, sabotage, and infrastructure vulnerability in strategic waters.
Leaders emphasized the need to “strengthen awareness, protection, and resilience of critical underwater infrastructure (CUI), including submarine cables and pipelines, in light of evolving maritime challenges.”
The declaration also linked maritime governance to climate and environmental risks, warning about “the profound and growing threat that sea level rise poses to the coastal communities, livelihoods, and territorial integrity of ASEAN Member States.”
ASEAN leaders further committed to strengthening cooperation against marine pollution, illegal fishing, marine debris, and plastic pollution, while supporting sustainable marine economic development under the bloc’s blue economy agenda.
On the South China Sea, ASEAN reaffirmed “the importance of the full and effective implementation” of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and pledged to “endeavour to conclude the negotiation of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).”
The declaration also backed the planned establishment of an ASEAN Maritime Centre in the Philippines, envisioned as a regional hub for maritime cooperation, policy coordination, and cross-sector collaboration.
ASEAN leaders said the center would “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.”
The maritime declaration aligns closely with the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” which Manila has framed around regional resilience, connectivity, and rules-based cooperation amid a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.
The declaration was adopted by ASEAN member states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam during the summit in Cebu.