ASEAN Tested on Commitment to Unity Amid Global Crises at Manila Meeting

The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Manila took place under the shadow of various crises. The US-Iran conflict, the South China Sea dispute, and the unresolved Myanmar crisis turned the annual agenda into a test of ASEAN’s ability to maintain regional stability. The challenge was reflected in the theme of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ which underscores the importance of maintaining unity when external and internal pressures demand a collective response from Southeast Asian nations. Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro noted that the region must face a world filled with turmoil, uncertainty, and difficult-to-predict situations through active and directed steps. ‘In a fragmented global landscape, no single country can weather these storms alone. Our strength and resilience lie in our community. If we do not move forward together, we risk being torn apart,’ she said. According to Lazaro, the foreign ministers evaluated the implementation of ASEAN’s three pillars—political-security, economic, and socio-cultural—as material for recommendations for the November Summit, while also discussing the direction of regional integration and relations with dialogue partners. The agenda became increasingly critical as the meetings in Manila also brought ASEAN together with partner countries and organisations, including the United States, China, and Russia, placing the bloc in a difficult position to maintain balance amidst great power rivalry. One of the most pressing issues was the escalation of the US-Iran conflict. Beyond heightening tensions in the Middle East, the conflict raised concerns over the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed before the war. Disruptions to this route could potentially impact energy supplies, international trade, and global supply chains, including for ASEAN economies heavily dependent on the smooth flow of goods. In response, ASEAN issued a joint statement urging all parties to return to the diplomatic path. The organisation also called for the restoration of safe, unimpeded, and sustainable maritime passage and overflight in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).