Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and High Contracting Parties (HCPs) to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) concluded the inaugural TAC High-Level Conference today at the Philippine International Convention Center, issuing a united call for stronger dialogue and practical cooperation to tackle pressing regional and global challenges.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landmark peace treaty, the conference featured a plenary session where session co-chairs presented key outcomes focused on three critical pillars: conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy, maritime security, and emerging threats.
Key conference outcomes:
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Conflict Prevention & Preventive Diplomacy: Co-chairing the first session, European Union High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas emphasized that the TAC’s core principles remain indispensable. Delegates agreed that sustainable peace requires addressing root causes—including poverty, climate change, public health disparities, and educational gaps—while ensuring women play a central role in peace-building. Discussions also covered the security risks posed by rapidly evolving technologies and the vital need for accountability.
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Maritime Security & Cooperation: Session co-chair and Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan reported strong consensus around the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the essential legal foundation for regional peace, stability, and freedom of navigation. Delegates called for enhanced information-sharing and joint action to combat piracy, illegal fishing, marine pollution, and threats to critical underwater infrastructure.
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Emerging Threats & Resilience: Co-chairing the third session, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow highlighted the treaty’s status as a living framework. Delegates focused on actionable solutions for modern challenges, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, supply chain vulnerabilities, climate change, pandemics, and food and energy security.
Closing the conference, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro presented key outcome documents adopted by the assembly. These included an ASEAN-sponsored United Nations General Assembly resolution honoring the TAC’s 50th anniversary, the Guidelines on the Modalities for Engagement of ASEAN with High Contracting Parties, and the official ASEAN Chair’s Statement.
Secretary Lazaro urged all 62 High Contracting Parties to move beyond dialogue and turn the conference’s commitments into tangible, cross-border initiatives.
“These outcome documents demonstrate that 50 years since the signing of the TAC, the treaty continues to evolve cognizant of evolving global dynamics, and at the same time, true to the vision upon which it was delivered,” Lazaro stated. “The responsibility now rests with all of us to ensure that the treaty endures and that the conversation we began today continues beyond this conference.”
