ASEAN, DIALOGUE PARTNERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE ACTION AND DISASTER RESILIENCE
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners have reaffirmed their strong commitment to advancing regional cooperation on climate action, environmental sustainability and disaster resilience, in line with Malaysia’s Chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
This shared commitment was underscored in the ASEAN Chairman’s Statement issued following the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) 10+1 Sessions held in Kuala Lumpur from July 10 to 11, 2025.
ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America (US).
ASEAN welcomed the continued support from its Dialogue Partners in advancing regional efforts on climate action and environmental sustainability, which remain among the region’s most pressing issues.
The meetings also looked forward to enhanced cooperation in key areas such as green growth, transboundary haze pollution, marine pollution, climate change, biodiversity conservation, water resources management, waste management, environmental education, sustainable consumption and production, and the development of sustainable cities.
ASEAN also encouraged collaboration through its centres of excellence, such as the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change (ACCC), the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC), the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), and the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), in supporting regional cooperation and promoting sustainable development.
In light of growing concerns over natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, typhoons and floods, ASEAN underscored the importance of strengthened disaster management cooperation with its Dialogue Partners.
ASEAN expressed appreciation for the continued support towards the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme (AWP) 2021–2025, particularly in strengthening the capacity of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and enhancing regional emergency response mechanisms.
The Meetings welcomed ongoing collaboration in key areas such as early warning systems, disaster prevention and mitigation, risk assessment and monitoring, response, and recovery efforts.
They also looked forward to sustained cooperation under the upcoming AWP 2026–2030 and related frameworks, including the Leaders’ Declaration on Sustainable Resilience.
During the Meeting, they reviewed their relations over the past year and reiterated their shared commitment to further enhancing their partnerships and cooperation through effective implementation of their respective Plans of Action and existing frameworks.
ASEAN also highlighted several milestones in some of these relations, including the establishment of the ASEAN-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) at the 25th ASEAN-South Korea Summit to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations in October 2024, the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue Relations this year, and the convening of the Second ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in May 2025.
The full statement, dated July 11, can be accessed at https://asean.org/chairmans-statement-of-the-asean-post-ministerial-conference-101-sessions-with-the-dialogue-partners-and-trilateral-meetings/.
Separate Trilateral Meetings involving Malaysia, the ASEAN Secretariat, and Sectoral Dialogue Partners—namely Brazil, Norway, Switzerland, and Türkiye—were convened on July 8, 10, and 11, 2025. These meetings focused on charting the future direction of engagement and exploring avenues to strengthen and sustain collaboration with ASEAN through concrete and tangible outcomes.
-- BERNAMA
