Press Room

 

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ASEAN LEADERS' DECLARATION
ON THE ASEAN OUTLOOK ON THE INDO-PACIFIC FOR THE FUTURE-READY
ASEAN AND ASEAN-CENTRED REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE

​WE, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, gathered in Vientiane on the occasion of the 44^th and 45^th ASEAN Summits on 9 October 2024;

ACKNOWLEDGING that global and regional challenges are becoming more interconnected and multidimensi  onal, and reaffirming our commitment to promote an enabling environment for peace, stability and prosperity in the region as well as our efforts to address common challenges, and promote closer economic and sociocultural cooperation; 

RECOGNIZING the importance of inclusive and comprehensive cooperation in ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms to bolster regional resilience and facilitate constructive dialogue and concrete cooperation, therefore contributing to the regional integration and development of the ASEAN-centred, open, inclusive, transparent, resilient, and rules-based regional architecture that upholds international law;

REAFFIRMING ASEAN's determination in shaping and leading the evolving regional architecture that is built upon ASEAN-Led mechanisms and to ensure that geopolitical and geostrategic shifts will continue to bring about, and not disrupt, peace, security, stability and prosperity for peoples in the Southeast Asia as well as in the wider AsiaPacific and Indian Ocean regions or the Indo-Pacific;

FURTHER REAFFIRMING the importance of upholding international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as ASEAN's shared values and norms as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the 2011 Declaration of the East Asia Summit on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations (Bali Principles), and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP); 

REAFFIRMING our commitment to regionalism and multilateralism as enshrined in the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Upholding Multilateralism;

FURTHER REAFFIRMING our commitment to strengthening the ASEAN Community and our shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability 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 the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. 

 REITERATING our call to external partners to support and undertake substantive, practical and tangible cooperation on the agreed areas of cooperation in line with the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Mainstreaming Four Priority Areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific within ASEAN-led Mechanisms; and

EMPHASISING the fundamental importance of ASEAN Centrality as the underlying principle for promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region;

DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:

1. Strengthen ASEAN Centrality and promote strategic discussions to build strategic trust, confidence and mutually beneficial cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms including, ASEAN Plus One mechanisms, ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) to maintain and promote a peaceful environment conducive for sustainable growth.
2. Promote the principles and values of the TAC and enhance its relevance and visibility in the region and beyond, including through exploring future strategies, the possible convening of Conferences of High Contracting Parties to the TAC, and capitalising on the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the TAC in 2026.  
3. Commit to build a future-ready ASEAN and an ASEAN-centred, open, transparent, resilient, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture that upholds international law, through ensuring a culture of dialogue, collaboration, and cooperation in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region.  
4. Continue to promote, implement and mainstream the AOIP in the relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms to support the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and all its Strategic Plans through workstreams, concrete projects, and activities, such as the ASEANIndo-Pacific Forum to Implement the AOIP, the convening of the AOIP Forum: Towards UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Strategic and Holistic Initiative to Link ASEAN Responses to Emergencies and Disaster (ASEAN SHIELD), the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Task Force on Blue Economy, and the publication of ASEAN Maritime Outlook. 
5. Continue to encourage the support of all our partners to the AOIP to promote and mainstream the implementation of concrete AOIP projects and activities, including through workstreams under the AOIP's four priority areas, as well as explore further cooperation through relevant mechanisms, centres and institutions in order to enhance win-win cooperation and to promote mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit, while maintaining ASEAN Centrality and unity.
6. Promote complementarity of the efforts to mainstream the AOIP with sub-regional development cooperation frameworks. 
   
7. Maintain and promote stability in the maritime sphere and enhance maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia, including maritime security, maritime safety, marine environmental protection, blue economy, and addressing new and emerging challenges, through relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
8. Further strengthen the regional commitment in combating transnational crime by working closely with relevant agencies and organisations in Dialogue Partner countries, other countries and international organisations, including the United Nations and its specialised agencies.  
9. Strengthen connectivity within and beyond the region, including through support for the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC) and its successor document, as well as adopting the approach of a Whole-of Community and Connecting the Connectivities within and beyond the region.
10. Accelerate ASEAN's efforts in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including in promoting economic growth, eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, and improving living standards for the peoples in the region.
11. Strengthen food security through promoting agriculture productivity and food value chains, and ensure sustainable energy security, through improving energy interconnectivity, and sustainable use and management of water resources, and promoting collaboration on rapid response in times of crises, to address challenges of climate change, public health emergencies, economic uncertainties and future crisis.
12. Develop the capacity to leverage new growth drivers by ensuring open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory global supply chains, while also accelerating efforts towards inclusive digital transformation and supporting the full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement.  
13. Strengthen ASEAN's and ASEAN Secretariat's institutional capacity to respond effectively and in a timely manner commensurate with the current and future challenges.
14. Task the ASEAN Coordinating Council to oversee the overall implementation of this Declaration.