PRESS RELEASE

Manila, Philippines — National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Wednesday, May 21, inaugurated the first ever Dialogue on ASEAN Maritime Security (DAMS 2025), calling all the regional bloc’s member states for unity, cooperation and decisive action in addressing maritime challenges across Southeast Asia.

In his keynote speech, Secretary Año underscored the importance of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the foundation for global maritime governance.

“The 1982 UNCLOS remains the cornerstone of global maritime governance,” he said. “ASEAN must be the strongest defender of the consensus that we no longer want to go back to a time when might was right.”

ASEAN’s adherence to consensus-building — the hallmark of the “ASEAN Way” — was recognized as essential in fostering peaceful cooperation and resolving disputes, particularly in the South China Sea.

“We believe that it is important first for the ASEAN to seek common ground in terms of addressing and managing these challenges. While there are unsettled differences among claimant countries, and even for those non-claimant states, it is imperative that we make these conversations inter-ASEAN countries first,” Secretary Año said.

He also reaffirmed the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution, citing its use of the UNCLOS arbitration mechanism, resulting in the 2016 Arbitral Award, as a testament to a law-based approach in defending maritime entitlements in the South China Sea.

Secretary Año also stressed the importance of ensuring that ongoing negotiations for a Code of Conduct, while at a “glacial pace,” align fully with international law and UNCLOS.

“Any proposal or attempt to exclude, sideline, or create exceptions to UNCLOS and the broader framework of international law in the proposed COC mechanisms reflects a lack of genuine intent and sincerity,” he said.

“Framing our maritime concerns as a byproduct of great power rivalry diminishes our agency and the importance of international law,” he noted. “We are not choosing sides—we are choosing principles.”

Representatives from all ten member states of ASEAN gathered for DAMS 2025, a three-day forum held at Conrad Manila from May 21 to 23, which will see discussions on several issues related to maritime governance. The Track 1.5 event, hosted by non-government organization We Protect Our Seas, serves as the sherpa to The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea in November.

“The National Security Council is honored to support the convening of the 2025 Dialogue on ASEAN Maritime Security, and we look forward to its contributions informing the upcoming Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea this November,” Secretary Año said. “As the Philippines prepares for its chairmanship of the ASEAN next year, I hope that this platform presents us all an opportunity where we can discuss and put together the agenda that we will put forward during the regional gathering.