Fact Sheet: Joint Declaration of the ASEAN Defence Ministers On Defence Cooperation for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN

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:

1. ADOPT the ADMM Three-Year Work Programme 2020-2022 to outline the future direction of ADMM cooperation while building on the previous ADMM Work Programmes, particularly the ADMM Three-Year Work Programme 2017-2019;
    

2. INTENSIFY efforts to promote a cohesive and responsive ASEAN in adapting to geopolitical and geostrategic shifts through strengthening defence cooperation amongst ASEAN Member States as well as with the Plus Countries to tackle traditional and non-traditional security challenges, while upholding the principles of ASEAN Centrality, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, consensus-based decision making, as well as flexible, voluntary, and non-binding contributions with assets remaining under national command and control;
    

3. REAFFIRM the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea as well as the need to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities

   that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that could further complicate the situation, and pursue peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out;
    

4. EMPHASISE the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, while underlining the full and effective implementation of the Declaration of Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety, thus welcoming, confidence building measures such as Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, Guidelines for Air Military Encounters, Guidelines for Maritime Interaction, and the ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure and other activities under the DOC framework to promote communication, mutual trust and confidence, and reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculation in the air and at sea;
    

5. EMPHASISE our support of cross-pillar and cross-sectoral activities with a view to advancing cooperation amongst the three Pillars of the ASEAN Community by focusing on creating a conducive security environment for sustainability in all dimensions, including sustainable regional connectivity through improving sea, land, air and and people-to-people connectivity;
    

6. ADOPT the Concept Paper on the ASEAN Flag to be Displayed next to the National Flag at the Compound of ASEAN Member State's Military Units Participating in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, to foster the spirit of solidarity in ASEAN Community in general and among ASEAN defence forces in particular, and affirm ASEAN's cohesion, development and consensus for the noble purpose of maintaining peace and stability throughout the world;
    

7. ADOPT the Concept Paper on Developing the Linkage between the ADMM and the ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting (ACDFM) to set a clear reporting path between the ACDFM and its related meetings, as well as between ACDFM and ADMM and synergise both fora to avoid duplication in defence cooperation;
    

8. ADOPT the Concept Paper on Enhancing the Defence Attaché Posts Among ASEAN Member States to emphasise the important role of defence attaches in promoting multilateral defence cooperation;
    

9. ADOPT the Standard Operating Procedure of ASEAN Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (SOP AMRG on HADR), which provides guiding principles, standard procedures, concept of operations, and fundamental requirements and protocols for AMRG on HADR in utilising military assets and capabilities in assisting affected countries in the region;
    

10. ADOPT the Standard Operating Procedure of the ASEAN Our Eyes (AOE) as a strategic information exchange procedure and mechanism among ASEAN Member States on violent extremism, radicalisation and terrorism;
     

11. ACKNOWLEDGE the important role of ADMM-Plus as the highest ministerial defence and security consultation for the ASEAN Member States and the Plus Countries, at the same time promoting practical cooperation mechanism through its EWGs; and, the interest of ASEAN's friends and Dialogue Partners to contribute to regional security and stability;
     

12. COMMEND the progress of ADMM-Plus since the inaugural meeting in Ha Noi in 2010, including the annualisation of ADMM-Plus and the expansion of the number of EWGs from five to seven;
     

13. WELCOME the 10^th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus to be held on 10 December 2020, which marks the accomplishment of the ADMM-Plus as an ASEAN-led mechanism for defence cooperation, and reflects its continued commitment to regional peace and stability entering the second decade;
     

14. WELCOME the new Co-Chairs of the ADMM-Plus EWGs for the 2021-2023 cycle and the adoption of their new respective Work Plans;
     

15. WELCOME Brunei Darussalam's ASEAN Chairmanship and its hosting of the 15^th ADMM and the 8^th ADMM-Plus in 2021;

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

More Resources

ADMM and Informal Meetings Highlight Commitment to Defence Cooperation for a Cohesive Region