Southeast Asian leaders have adopted a sweeping declaration on maritime cooperation during the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings held in Cebu, signaling a stronger regional commitment to maritime security, international law, environmental protection, and economic resilience amid growing geopolitical tensions in regional waters.
Declaration Highlights
The declaration, adopted on Friday, May 8, 2026, reaffirmed the bloc's collective commitment to peace, stability, and cooperation at sea, with particular emphasis on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the legal foundation governing maritime activities. It was one of the centerpiece outcomes of the summit hosted by the Philippines under the chairmanship theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during a press briefing that the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation was among the key documents adopted to strengthen cooperation in critical areas. The declaration reaffirms the bloc's collective commitment to enhancing maritime cooperation and highlights the multi-dimensional nature of maritime issues.
Proposed ASEAN Maritime Centre
Marcos said the measure includes a proposal to establish an ASEAN Maritime Centre in the Philippines, which is expected to further support regional collaboration on maritime concerns. ASEAN leaders discussed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation, safeguarding maritime trade routes, strengthening critical underwater infrastructure, combating illegal fishing, and addressing environmental threats such as marine pollution and rising sea levels.
The agreement comes at a time when the South China Sea remains a major flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific, with overlapping territorial claims and increased maritime activity continuing to test regional stability. Marcos said ASEAN member-states have reached a consensus on the core concept and guiding principles of the proposed center to be established in the Philippines.
He added that ASEAN members are still working out key details of the initiative, such as its operational framework, funding arrangements, organizational structure, and specific mandate. The planned center will serve as a regional hub for cooperation on maritime concerns, including security coordination, illegal fishing, smuggling, vessel traffic monitoring, among others.
