Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration of the ADMM on ASEAN Unity for Security and Prosperity

The Nineteenth ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (hereinafter referred to as “ADMM”), was convened on 31 October 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

RECOGNISING the growing uncertainty in the regional and global security landscape, as well as the increasing complexity of traditional and non-traditional security challenges that may affect the region's security and prosperity;

ACKNOWLDEGING the commitment of ASEAN Member States to remain cohesive and vigilant in addressing current and emerging security challenges while identifying opportunities to promote sustainable peace, security, stability and prosperity within and beyond the region;

INSPIRED by efforts to further advance the ASEAN Community, strengthen ASEAN’s unity and enhance regional peace, security, stability and prosperity within an inclusive, sustainable and future-oriented framework, ensuring that ASEAN remains dynamic, resilient and effective;

REITERATING adherence to key principles, shared values and norms enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter, the ASEAN Charter, the Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);

REAFFIRMING our position that the ASEAN Leaders’ Five-Point Consensus (5PC) remains the main reference to address the situation in Myanmar as well as further reaffirming the relevant ASEAN Leaders’ decisions, and SUPPORTING the full implementation of the 5PC to assist Myanmar in finding a peaceful and durable solution to the ongoing situation;

REITERATING the commitment of all parties to cooperating in a constructive and peaceful manner to maintain the South China Sea as 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) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutually agreed timeline. In addition, the parties are committed to promoting maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight and creating a conducive environment for the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea;

COMMENDING Timor-Leste’s participation as Observer in the ADMM, ADMM-Plus, related meetings and activities, and WELCOMING its admission as the 11^th Member State of ASEAN, as well as its participation as a full member of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus;   

UNDERSCORING the importance of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus as integral components of the region’s security architecture, serving as platforms for strategic defence dialogue and practical cooperation with ASEAN as the primary driving force;

COMMENDING the approval of A Future-Ready ADMM and ADMM-Plus: A Strategy Paper by the 18^th ADMM, which charts the ADMM’s vision for the future of both platforms in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045;

ACKNOWLEDGING the progress of practical cooperation under the seven ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs), namely on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Maritime Security, Military Medicine, Counter-Terrorism, Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian Mine Action and Cyber Security

WELCOMING the convening of the Observership Programme for the 2024-2027 cycle of the ADMM-Plus EWGs involving Canada, France, Germany, Türkiye and the United Kingdom, as part of ASEAN’s efforts to maintain inclusivity and further expand engagement beyond the region;

APPLAUDING the contributions of ASEAN Member States’ militaries, particularly through the ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting (ACDFM) and its related meetings and activities in building trust and confidence, and fostering practical cooperation as well as COMMENDING the conduct of the 3^rd ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEx) in August 2025, which promotes greater interoperability, mutual trust and collaboration in maritime operations among ASEAN Member States;

NOTING the positive outcomes of the 21^st Annual Meeting of the Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions (NADI), as well as its role in providing relevant inputs and recommendations to the ADMM for addressing security challenges.

HEREBY DECLARES TO:

STRENGTHEN ASEAN unity and Centrality in engagements with external partners through the ADMM-Plus, in order to promote and build mutual trust and confidence, while reinforcing an open, transparent, resilient, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at the centre;

INTENSIFY efforts to enhance regional peace, security, stability and prosperity by strengthening defence and security cooperation to effectively address current and emerging security challenges and identify efforts to incorporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in the defence sector;

ENHANCE strategic dialogue and practical cooperation among ASEAN Member States and the Plus Countries to navigate geopolitical dynamics and address current and emerging challenges for a peaceful, secure, and stable region;

EMPHASISE 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 enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, and pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS;

LOOK FORWARD to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and COMMEND existing confidence-building measures (CBMs) such as Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, Guidelines for Air Military Encounters (GAME), Guidelines for Maritime Interaction (GMI), ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure (ADI) and other activities under the DOC framework that could reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculations;

RECOGNISE ASEAN’s ongoing efforts and the ASEAN Leaders’ Review and Decision on the Implementation of the 5PC to facilitate the restoration of peace and stability and the peaceful transition to normalcy in Myanmar, and towards this end, reiterate the need for a full implementation of the 5PC;

ENCOURAGE Timor-Leste to adhere to the principles and modalities outlined in the Concept Papers on the Establishment of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus and Its Protocols, and LOOK FORWARD to its continued progress in fulfilling the Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in ASEAN; 

WELCOME the signing of the Joint Declaration by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand on the outcomes of their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the signing of the Terms of Reference on the establishment of the ASEAN Observer Team, which will comprise personnel from ASEAN Member States on a voluntary basis, with the objective of ensuring the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand;

ADOPT the Concept Paper on Enhancing ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration (ADIC), which aims to reinvigorate defence industry collaboration by leveraging the strengths of ASEAN Member States’ respective defence industries;

ADOPT the Concept Paper on ASEAN Defence Search and Rescue Exercise (ADSARX), which seeks to improve regional preparedness and strengthen coordination among ASEAN Air Forces in conducting Search and Rescue operations;

ADOPT the Concept Paper on the Establishment of ASEAN Military History Institutions’ Cooperation (AMHIC), which seeks to promote military history awareness within ASEAN through research, education and the sharing of military heritage within the region;

ADOPT the Concept Paper on Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) Security from a Defence Perspective, which outlines guiding principles for defence cooperation in this emerging domain, and encourages future regional collaboration to enhance awareness and protection of CUI;

ADOPT the ASEAN Cyber Defence Network (ACDN) Guidelines and Roadmap for the Implementation of ACDN, which outlines the strategic direction, key activities and milestones to progressively bolster the cyber defence capacities of ASEAN Member States;

ADOPT the Rules of Procedure (ROP) for ASEAN Defence Educational Institutions’ Collaboration (ADEIC), which serves as a framework to enhance network among and promote military and defence education across Defence Universities/Colleges/Institutes/Academies of ASEAN Member States;

ADOPT the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Enhancing Cooperation Among Defence Forces of ASEAN Member States in Cross-Border Pandemic Containment, which promotes collaboration among ASEAN defence establishments in managing cross-border pandemics;

ADOPT the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Enhancing Support Mechanism for ASEAN Women Peacekeepers (ESMAWP), aimed at improving the readiness of ASEAN women peacekeepers to participate in the UN peacekeeping operations, in line with the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the UN WPS Agenda;

ADOPT the 3^rd Additional Protocol to the Concept Papers on the Establishment of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus, to further enhance their processes and serve as a guide in prioritising the ADMM-Plus EWGs and implementing the Enhanced Observership Programme; 

APPROVE the Maritime Cybersecurity Conference, as the 2^nd AOIP activity organised under the defence sector, which provides a platform to address the intersection of maritime and cybersecurity challenges and highlights ASEAN’s role as an effective force for peace, stability and prosperity in the region;

WELCOME the inclusion of the SOP of the ASEAN Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (AMRG on HADR) as an annex to Chapter VI of the SOP for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP), aimed at enhancing civil-military coordination in the region and ACKNOWLEDGE the contribution of the Military Representatives to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in supporting the coordination of humanitarian assistance aligned with the spirit of One ASEAN, One Response;

WELCOME the conduct of the 2^nd ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise (AUMX) in December 2025, which contributes to enhancing capacity of and confidence-building among navies of ASEAN Member States and the United States;

WELCOME the Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Defence Sector, adopted by the ADMM Retreat on 26 February 2025, which promotes collaboration to enhance collective defence capabilities in AI and highlights ADMM’s proactive role in addressing existing and emerging non-traditional security challenges;

WELCOME the Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on the Implementation of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Strategic Plan of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which underscores the defence sector’s commitment to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 by contributing effectively to the implementation of the APSC Strategic Plan;

WELCOME the Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus in Commemoration of the 15^th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus, which reaffirms the ADMM-Plus as an open and inclusive framework of defence cooperation, and its role in enhancing ASEAN Member States’ capacity to address evolving security challenges while upholding ASEAN Centrality;

EXPRESS the highest appreciation to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for its Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2024 and to Malaysia for its current ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025; and

 WELCOME the Republic of the Philippines as the next ASEAN Chair and its hosting of the 20^th ADMM and the 13^th ADMM-Plus in 2026.

ADOPTED in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the Thirty-First Day of October in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Five, in a single original copy in the English language.

More Resources

ASEAN Defence Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Regional Peace and Adopt New Cooperation Initiatives at 19th ADMM

Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on the Implementation of the APSC Strategic Plan of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045