WE, the Defence Ministers of 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, met via videoconference on 9 December 2020 for the Fourteenth ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (hereinafter referred to as "ADMM");
RECOGNISING the effects of geopolitical and geostrategic shifts in the regional and global environments and the implications of increasing regional integration and inter-regional economic cooperation and connectivity and the global trends including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has an impact on security threats that are complex, unpredictable, transboundary and increasing in frequency and severity as well as provide opportunities for the peoples of ASEAN Member States to navigate through this period;
MOTIVATED by the efforts of ASEAN Member States in moving forward together to strengthen a people-oriented and people-centred Community that leaves no one behind, and towards a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN;
ACKNOWLEDGING the effective cooperation among ASEAN Member States in tackling disease outbreaks, including COVID-19;
REITERATING the principles and purposes of ASEAN as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in strengthening ASEAN Centrality and unity, and upholding a rules-based regional order anchored in international law for the benefit of the people;
EMPHASISING the commitment of all parties to cooperate in a constructive and peaceful manner for the South China Sea to become a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity through the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutually-agreed timeline. In addition, the parties are also committed in promoting maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, and creating a conducive environment for peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea;
REAFFIRMING the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to realise a rules-based, people-oriented, and people-centred ASEAN of One Vision, One Identity, One Community with enhanced capacity to respond effectively to challenges and ASEAN as an outward-looking region within a global community of nations, while maintaining ASEAN Centrality;
ENSURING the implementation of the ASEAN Political - Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025 through a bold and forward-looking approach that is responsive to the challenges of the times and strengthening cross-sectoral coordination within the APSC as well as cross-pillar issues among the three pillars;
UNDERSCORING the importance of ADMM and the ADMM-Plus as the region's de-facto multilateral defence and security platforms for strategic dialogue as well as for practical defence and security cooperation;
COMMENDING the progresses in the ADMM initiatives, comprising the ASEAN Defence Establishments and Civil Society Organisations Cooperation on Non-Traditional Security, the Use of ASEAN Military Assets and Capacities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration, ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network, ASEAN Defence Interaction Programmes, Logistics Support Framework, ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure in the ADMM Process, ASEAN Militaries Ready Group on HADR, ASEAN Center of Military Medicine, ADMM-wide Education and Training Exchanges, Enhancing the Linkages between the ADMM and the Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions, Guidelines for Maritime Interaction, Network of ASEAN Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defence Experts, ASEAN Our Eyes, Guidelines for Air Military Encounters, ASEAN Military Medicine Conference, and the Role of ASEAN Defence Establishments in Supporting Border Management;
APPLAUDING the progress of practical cooperation under the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Groups (EWGs), namely on HADR, Maritime Security, Military Medicine, Counter-Terrorism, Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian Mine Action, and Cyber Security;
EXPRESSING our satisfaction on the progress of the ASEAN Member States' militaries in forging practical cooperation, namely through the ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting, ASEAN Military Operations Meeting, ASEAN Military Intelligence Meeting, and its related cooperative platforms, the ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting, the ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting, ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference and ASEAN Chiefs of Military Medicine Conference;
APPLAUDING the active, thorough and effective preparation of Viet Nam in 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship, including measures to ensure security and safety, especially prevention of disease outbreaks;
DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:
DONE on this Ninth Day of December in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty, in a single original copy in the English language.
For Brunei Darussalam:
THE HONOURABLE PEHIN DATU LAILARAJA MAJOR GENERAL (RETIRED) DATO PADUKA SERI HAJI AWANG HALBI BIN HAJI MD YUSSOF
Second Minister of Defence
For the Kingdom of Cambodia:
SAMDECH PICHEY SENA TEA BANH
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense
For the Republic of Indonesia:
PRABOWO SUBIANTO
Minister of Defence
For the Lao People's Democratic Republic:
GENERAL CHANSAMONE CHANYALATH
Minister of National Defence
For Malaysia:
DATO' SRI ISMAIL SABRI BIN YAAKOB
Senior Minister of Defence
For the Republic of the Union of Myanmar:
LIEUTENANT GENERAL SEIN WIN
Union Minister for Defence
For the Republic of the Philippines:
DELFIN N. LORENZANA
Secretary of National Defense
For the Republic of Singapore:
DR. NG ENG HEN
Minister for Defence
For the Kingdom of Thailand:
GENERAL PRAYUT CHAN-O-CHA (Ret.)
Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
For the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam:
GENERAL NGO XUAN LICH
Minister of National Defence