The first Expanded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)
Maritime Forum (EAMF) was a historic first in maritime security and cooperation
among the 18 member-countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS).
“The main message of the First
Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum is to highlight the necessity and utility of
enhancing maritime cooperation among all the countries in the East Asia
Summit,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda F. Basilio said at the
conclusion of the forum in Manila on October 5.
“Only by working together can we
secure the promise of a vibrant, economically prosperous and politically stable
and peaceful East Asia,” she said.
The EAMF gathered for the first
time government officials and experts from international organizations,
maritime industries, the academe and civil society from the ten member
countries of Asean, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic
of Korea, Russia and the United States to discuss cross-cutting maritime
issues, a statement from the Department Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The meeting was held back-to-back
with the third Asean Maritime Forum (AMF), held in Manila on October 3 to 4 and
was participated in by only Asean members.
“The nature and scope of our
discussions throughout the Expanded Asean Maritime Forum have shown us that it
is important for us to continue our strategic dialogue and collaborative
engagement. The presence of relevant stakeholders involved in maritime issues
adds value to the work of the EAMF and contributes to the formulation of
comprehensive, multi-sectoral collaborative approaches,” Basilio said.
She emphasized that with greater
trust and openness, the 18 member-countries of the East Asia Summit can
identify concrete means to intensify maritime dialogue and cooperation to
generate confidence-building measures for mutual benefit.
The roundtable sessions during
the EAMF focused on the relevance of the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS) in today's context; maritime connectivity and capacity
building, including infrastructure and equipment upgrading and seafarers'
training; and identifying best practices of cooperation in protecting the
marine environment and promoting eco-tourism and fishery regime in East Asia.
On the UNCLOS, delegates
acknowledged the importance of universally-recognized principles of
international law, specifically UNCLOS, in providing a rules-based framework
for maritime security and cooperation in the region, as well as for addressing
the issue of conflicting claims, according to the Chairman's Statement issued
by Basilio.
Discussions on enhancing maritime
connectivity examined strategies for capacity building in infrastructure and
equipment.
The forum welcomed the proposal
of the United States to partner with an Asean member-state to establish an
Expanded Asean Seafarers’ Training Program (EAST) for civilian maritime
personnel.
On protecting the marine
environment, delegates highlighted the need to involve all stakeholders,
including local communities, in efforts to protect of the region's marine
resources, such as eco-tourism and sustainable fisheries management and
development.
The EAMF was convened in response
to the statement of East Asia Summit members at the sixth EAS Summit in Bali,
Indonesia in November 2011 that encouraged a “dialogue involving EAS
participating countries to utilize opportunities and address common challenges
on maritime issues building upon the existing Asean Maritime Forum (AMF).” (DFA/PIA
PND)
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