The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) convened ambassadors and representatives from 37 countries in Manila to reaffirm global commitment to maritime security and the rule of law, coinciding with the 31st anniversary of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro led the forum, which followed up on the ministerial meeting she chaired at the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York last September.

In her keynote remarks, Lazaro underscored the need to uphold a rules-based maritime order, stressing that UNCLOS remains the cornerstone of all activities in the world’s oceans and seas. She also highlighted that maritime security will be a key priority when the Philippines assumes the ASEAN chairship in 2026. 

The gathering featured panel sessions on multilateralism and the role of international legal instruments and maritime safety, rule of law, and prospects for maritime law enforcement.

Ambassadors from Australia, Canada, Romania, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States served as panelists, emphasizing dialogue, confidence-building, and capacity development as vital tools to promote maritime domain awareness and combat transnational crimes at sea. 

“The Philippines believes that dialogue, confidence-building, and capacity development are vital in promoting maritime domain awareness, combating transnational crimes at sea, and ensuring that our maritime spaces remain open, secure, and sustainable,” Lazaro said. 

The forum reinforced the Philippines’ intent to strengthen ASEAN’s central role in shaping a peaceful, stable, and rules-based maritime order, while rallying international partners to safeguard open and secure seas.