Philippines and EU to co-chair the 4th ASEAN-EU High-Level Dialogue on Maritime Security Cooperation
04 October 2017 – As a littoral state and a maritime continent with almost 70,000 km of coastline, the Philippines and the European Union, respectively, attach high importance to maritime security. This is especially true at this time when the security and safe use of the seas are under serious threat posed by a growing number of non-traditional security challenges, including piracy and armed robbery against ships, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF), marine pollution, and trafficking in persons, illicit drugs, and endangered wildlife.
To learn from each other’s experience in promoting and preserving maritime security, the Philippines and EU are co-hosting the 4th ASEAN-EU High-Level Dialogue (HLD) on Maritime Security Cooperation from 5 to 6 October 2017 in Manila. The HLD is held yearly to enable subject matter experts on maritime security from government, the academe and think tanks of ASEAN Member States and EU to discuss and exchange views and share best practices on maritime security with a view to helping ASEAN further improve maritime security in the region.
During the Dialogue, subject-matter experts are likewise expected to share their insights on related topics such as marine environmental protection, law enforcement, connectivity, and conflict prevention. Their insights will help enrich discussions as ASEAN and EU seek to further explore ways to deepen their cooperation in maritime security.
The Dialogue is yet another manifestation of the growing and multi-faceted cooperation between ASEAN and EU. During the ASEAN-EU Post Ministerial Conference held in Manila on 6 August 2017, the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and EU adopted the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action 2018-2022, which identifies various areas of cooperation, including maritime cooperation. Previous installments of the Dialogue were held in Thailand (2016), Malaysia, (2015), and Indonesia (2013). END