ASEAN: Progressing Regional Cooperation in Developing & Implementing Law of the Sea Instruments in the ASEAN Region
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation focused on fostering political, economic, and cultural cooperation among its Member States.
[1] Given the strategic importance of the seas to the region and globally—for connectivity, trade, security, environmental protection, and resource conservation and management— ensuring that the seas remain peaceful, safe, secure, ecologically healthy, and subjected to good governance is central to ASEAN’s vision. Respect for international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), remains a shared core principle across the Indo-Pacific strategies of both ASEAN and Germany.
Against this background—and building on the achievements of two successful law of the sea initiatives implemented under the Germany–ASEAN Cooperation framework—the present project brings together a series of targeted activities aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation and strengthening ocean governance in the ASEAN region.
[2] These activities support the full and effective implementation of UNCLOS and related international instruments by addressing shared challenges such as the sustainable management of transboundary fish stocks, regional approaches to emerging ocean governance instruments, the protection and development of critical infrastructure like submarine cables and pipelines, and other relevant capacity-building needs requested by ASEAN Member States. Together, these activities will contribute to a more coherent and inclusive legal maritime order in Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.
The Foundation will implement this project through the provision of technical and legal assistance to officials from relevant ministries, departments and directorates of invited ASEAN Member States. Implementation activities include a series of workshops and roundtables, as well as the production of legal analysis and materials to support the uniform and consistent implementation of UNCLOS and its subsequent agreements across the ASEAN region.
[1] ASEAN Member States include Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam.
[2] See further, ‘Promoting Maritime Peace and Security in Southeast Asia’ (2020-2022) and ‘Strengthening Regional Integration and the Implementation of a Rules-Based International Order in ASEAN’ (2023-2025).
