Philippines Leads International Effort on Maritime Security at UN Assembly

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), led by Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, convened a Foreign Ministerial Meeting focused on enhancing cooperation to ensure a secure and stable maritime domain. The session took place on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24.

Approximately 40 countries participated, with the Philippines co-hosting the event alongside Australia, Estonia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The meeting addressed shared maritime concerns, including the safeguarding of freedom of navigation and commerce.

The DFA highlighted the global challenges in maintaining maritime security and underscored the renewed commitment among participating nations to multilateralism and collective responsibility for managing the world’s oceans. It was emphasized that upholding international law and promoting cooperation are essential for protecting the marine environment, ensuring free navigation and trade, enhancing global connectivity, and securing vital underwater infrastructure.

"As a growing coalition across regions, we reaffirmed international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as the constitution of the ocean and the legal framework in addressing global challenges to security and stability at sea," Secretary Lazaro stated.

In addition to the maritime meeting, Secretary Lazaro announced the Philippines’ engagement with the "Friends of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT)," an international group dedicated to restricting the production of fissile materials such as highly enriched uranium and plutonium used in nuclear weapons.

Sharing on her official social media account, Lazaro remarked, "Honored to join Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya, along with Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as Friends of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in sustaining international efforts toward a safe world through #FMCT."

The FMCT aims to establish an international agreement to ban the future production of fissile materials intended for nuclear arms, reinforcing global non-proliferation efforts.