Philippines Proposes Establishment of ASEAN Coast Guard Forum

Manila (ANTARA) - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), led by Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, has proposed the establishment of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF) under the Philippine chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year.

In a statement released on Friday (5/6), the PCG confirmed that the terms of reference, which will serve as the basis for the ACF’s mandate, scope, organisational structure, and future direction, were established during the 5th ACF High-Level Meeting held on 3–4 May.

“The meeting also adopted a joint declaration to support the establishment and institutional recognition of the ACF and agreed that the Philippines, as the ASEAN chair, will submit a concept paper and a joint declaration to the ASEAN Summit,” the PCG statement read.

The ACF recognises the joint statement by Southeast Asian leaders at the 48th ASEAN Summit last May, which supported a declaration on maritime cooperation to advance the work of the ACF.

“The progress achieved at the 5th ACF High-Level Meeting reflects the shared commitment of ASEAN nations to achieve a safe, secure, and rules-based maritime order in the region,” said the PCG.

Furthermore, delegates at the meeting agreed to establish the ACF as a body under the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) prior to its official establishment within the ASEAN framework.

“The meeting emphasised the importance of strengthening concrete maritime cooperation among ASEAN Coast Guards and Maritime Law Enforcement agencies through dialogue, information sharing, capacity building, and operational coordination to address maritime challenges in the region,” the Philippine agency stated.

During the same meeting, delegates also proposed future ACF activities and initiatives for support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Korea-ASEAN Maritime Security Academy project from the Korea Coast Guard.

The 5th ACF High-Level Meeting was attended by delegates from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.